My wife, two daughters, and I just returned from a mission trip to Honduras, where God worked in wondrous ways.
First day back, I took our van in to get serviced. I thought it was a minor issue, yet I’m told it needs a new engine. When I got a second opinion, the diagnosis was confirmed.
So basically, we’re going to need a new car.
This wasn’t on my agenda for the week. I had work to catch up on and plans for other projects. Dealing with this now has had a rippling effect throughout my whole life. Can we afford it?
And if I’m honest, as we should be, I spent time and money obeying God and doing mission work in another country. It’s hard not to feel like this is unfair as we return.
God never promises an end to problems when we start to follow him. In fact, we are promised the opposite in John 16:33. In this world; we will have trouble. But the promise doesn’t stop with trouble. Jesus continues to tell us that we shouldn’t worry or be afraid because he has overcome the world.
Not only the problems. The whole world the problems exist in. He’s overcome it all.
We should expect problems. Or, at the very least, not be surprised by them. Dealing with a broken car is fairly common and minimal in the grand scheme of life. As much stress as it may cause, no one is getting hurt or wounded by this.
There are far more important issues. Someone in our church messaged everyone about how her father had a stroke and is now close to death. That’s one example of the many crises people deal with.
One of Jesus’ original 12 disciples writes this statement in a letter, “Cast your care upon him, for he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Not some or half or most. All. We are told to cast all our cares upon the Lord, from the smallest to the greatest, because he loves us.
The Apostle Peter wrote the first epistle of Peter to the early Christian communities facing persecution and hardships. One of the primary themes of the letter is to encourage believers to endure suffering and remain faithful.
Beginning in chapter five, Peter addresses the elders of the church and the wider congregation, offering them guidance and support.
Verse seven is the second half of a broader statement, where Peter encourages the believers to be humble with God because God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.
To be humble is to live in truth. God is great and mighty, and we have no ability or strength to make any lasting change. Pride is based on a lie, a reliance upon our own resources or ability, which will ultimately fail us.
Since lies lead to sin and death, a God of love must resist people who believe the lie of pride. On the other hand, he lifts those who live in the truth of a great and all-powerful God.
Yet when we have troubles, we want to fix them. We are tempted to find the solutions and rely upon our own intelligence and power, all to come to peace and contentment.
But that doesn’t work. Relying upon our own abilities never leads to peace. Only relying upon God himself, the Person, will bring us peace in the midst of circumstances.
That is what Peter encourages us to do. During these hardships, trust him. Cast our cares upon the Lord.
Because God, the Lord of all Creation, also loves us deeply. We can trust him for two reasons. First, he is all-powerful. And second, he cares about us. Praise God for that combo.
The act of “casting” signifies a deliberate action. Casting implies releasing or surrendering our worries and concerns to God, acknowledging his sovereignty, believing in his love, and trusting his providence.
Through casting our cares upon the Lord, we experience relief, peace, and freedom from the weight of our own troubles.
Additionally, verse eight warns believers to be alert and sober-minded, as we have an adversary, the devil, who seeks to devour and destroy them. These verses place our momentary problems within the eternal conflict.
We are in a spiritual war, and the enemy can and will use these temporary problems to drag us down and away from God. Only God can defend us and give us wisdom. With all this in mind, we must go to God first and place all our cares upon his power, grace, and love.
The concept of casting our cares upon the Lord is not limited to 1 Peter 5:7; it is a recurring theme throughout the Bible.
Psalm 55:22 states, “Cast your cares on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” This verse emphasizes the promise that when we cast our cares upon God, He will not only carry the burden but also sustain and support us. It reassures us that our trust in Him will not be in vain.
Similarly, Matthew 6:34 says within the famous Sermon on the Mount, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
This verse encourages believers to focus on the present moment and trust in God's provision. By casting our cares upon Him, we can live free from the anxiety of what lies ahead.
The Apostle Paul provides guidance on dealing with anxiety in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
This verse highlights the power of prayer and the peace that comes from surrendering our concerns to God.
Returning to the Old Testament, Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
This verse reminds us that God is with us in our times of worry and fear, assuring us of His strength, assistance, and unwavering support.
One of the primary benefits is finding peace. By casting our cares upon the Lord, we are relieved of the heavy burden we carry. We no longer need to bear the weight of our concerns alone but can rely on God's loving care and guidance.
This act of surrender allows us to experience a deep sense of inner peace, knowing that God is in control and that He is working all things for our good.
This peace frees us from anxiety and worry, and that liberty and margin can be further used to worship and meditate on God.
Casting our cares upon the Lord also fosters trust and strengthens our faith. It requires us to let go of our need for control and place our trust in God's sovereignty and wisdom.
As we witness His faithfulness in carrying our burdens, providing for our needs, and orchestrating circumstances, our faith is deepened, and our reliance on Him grows stronger.
Moreover, casting our cares upon the Lord enables us to cultivate a closer relationship with Him. When we bring our concerns to Him in prayer and seek His guidance, we become more attuned to His presence and voice.
This practice of casting our cares opens the door for intimate communion with God, allowing us to experience His love, comfort, and guidance in a profound way.
Additionally, casting our cares upon the Lord provides us with strength and resilience. When we release our worries to Him, we tap into His infinite power and find renewed strength to face challenges and overcome obstacles.
We are reminded that we do not have to rely on our own limited abilities, but rather, we can draw upon God's strength to carry us through difficult times.
Finally, through our experience and strength, we can encourage others with the stories we tell of how God has been faithful to us through our difficulties.
Looking a bit deeper into 1 Peter 5, the Apostle Peter brings up the spiritual battle we are involved in, whether we know it or not. God loves us and wants us to be cognizant of the unseen battle around us.
My mentor gave me a definition of faith I’ve used my whole life. Faith is the perception and pursuit of the unseen, heavenly reality.
Faith is a gift, not something we can earn. In our own strength, we can’t see or seek the things of heaven. Without God’s choice to reveal himself, we would be ignorant. Even though faith is a gift, it matters what we do with it.
How do we invest this gift? The Parable of the Talents is a great example of three servants who were each given large sums of money by the master. When he returned, the one who did nothing with the gift was thrown out to great suffering.
In light of our difficulties, we must make the intentional choice to see these hardships as opportunities. James writes to the church that we should count it all joy when we come under hardships (James 1:2-4).
Why should we have joy when we go through hard times? Seems like the last thing we want to do. But when we apply our faith to these difficulties, our character is strengthened, and we become more like our Father.
Peter gives us part of the secret here in his letter. Humbly cast all our cares upon the Lord and trust in his love. This aligns us with what is real in heaven, and we will see God’s faithfulness and strength.
Casting our cares upon the Lord is not merely a theoretical concept but a practical act that can be incorporated into our daily lives. Here are some practical ways to effectively cast our cares upon the Lord.
1. Prayer. Prayer is where it begins. We should set aside dedicated time each day and intentionally surrender our worries and burdens to God, crying out to him.
2. Live a life of surrender. Practice an attitude of prayer and surrender. Each time a concern or worry arises, consciously let it go and place it into God’s hands. This is a process of intentional effort but will result in continual peace.
3. Meditate on Scripture. The Bible is full of truths about God’s power and love for us. Reading and meditating on the Bible transforms our minds into this reality.
4. Practice gratitude. Cultivate a spirit of gratitude. When David stood before the giant, he remembered how God helped him with the lion and bear. Learn to be thankful for what God has already done in our lives, and we will find it easier to trust him with the next problem.
5. Seek support in a community. We need encouragement from other disciples. Within a faith community, we will be reminded of others that care for us to trust in God and to give him our worries and cares. They will pray for us and keep us aligned with truth.
Let us all surrender our worries and cares upon God, the one who is all-powerful and loves us enough to give his only Son to die and rise again to save us. We can trust him with all of our cares. Then we will live in the peace that passes understanding and brings life to our souls.
For further reading:
How Does the Bible Teach Us to Handle Anxiety?
How to Have Hope in Anxious Times
3 Things to Remember When You Can’t ‘Not Be Anxious’
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