Cast Your Cares

Let me ask you a question.

Have you ever been gripped by terror?

You know the feeling—a shiver down your spine … the hair standing up on the back of your neck … your stomach sinking … your mouth dry.

Maybe you were a crime victim—or afraid you might be. Did you know that in today’s crazy society the statistics show that half of us will face the possibility of begin a crime victim at some time during our lives. Or maybe you were gripped with fear over the possibility of losing your spouse to death or desertion. Or maybe you were on a plane that took one of those unexpected big dips, and you saw your life flash before your eyes.

Fear. None of us likes to experience circumstances such as the ones I just described. Yet, ironically, we spend millions of our hard-earned dollars to be scared out of our wits. We do it when we climb into radical rollercoaster rides at amusement parks. We do it when we go to horror movies. We do it when we read Stephen King novels. Why do we do it?

Maybe it’s because we know that in these controlled environments, everything will turn out all right in the end. There’s something invigorating about being scared when the threat to life and limb is perceived, not real.

Yet we are living in a culture that is becoming increasingly violent. It’s dangerous out there in the real world today. There are some justifiable reasons to fear for our own personal safety.

Associated with the powerful emotion of fear is worry. When you are gripped by fear about your future, your stomach can get tied up in knots just thinking about the possibilities: What if this happens? What if that happens? A great deal of time and tremendous energy are consumed worrying about what may never actually transpire.

Modern medical research has proven that worry breaks down our resistance to disease. It can actually attack the nervous system, the digestive system, and the circulatory system. Excessive worry can shorten our lives. Some people are probably shortening their lives by worrying about when they are going to die.

“You can worry yourself to death,” said Charles Mayo of the Mayo Clinic. “But you cannot worry yourself to a longer life.”

John Curtis, director of the University of Wisconsin Stress Management Institute, said, “I believe that 90 percent of all stress is brought on not by living in the present moment but by worrying about what has already happened, what is going to happen, or what could happen.”

Ann Landers says that of the ten thousand letters she gets each month, one problem dominates: People are afraid.

They are afraid of losing their health. They are afraid of losing their wealth. They are afraid of losing their loved ones. But as a child of God, you don’t have to be afraid.

Worry is a nonproductive pastime. It has been said that worry is the advanced interest paid on troubles that seldom come. It has also been said that worry is like a rocking chair: You are always moving—but you never get anywhere.

Worry is something that can grip us and overpower us. It is interesting that the word worry actually comes from an old English word that means “to choke or strangle.” Everyone knows how it feels to be choked and strangled with worries.

There is a story about a man who was a bit of a worrywart. One day a friend noticed that he was not gripped with worry, as usual, and inquired, “You’re normally so worked up and worried about the future, but today you seem calm and reserved. What happened?”

“I just got tired of worrying—and hired someone to do it for me,” he said.

“Really? And what do you pay this person?” the friend asked.

“I pay him $10,000 a month,” said the worrywart.

“You pay him $10,000 a month to worry for you? You don’t even earn that kind of money yourself. How are you going to pay him?” asked the friend.

“That’s for him to worry about!”

Look at what Peter tells us about anxiety and worry. If you have your bibles go to the book of 1st Peter, chapter 5.

1 Peter 5:6–7 NIV

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Look at what King David tells us in Psalm 55.

Psalm 55:22 NIV

22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Let me tell you today. If you have been carrying around baggage and you are worried about it. You feel your anxiety levels rising. It’s time to let it go. You don’t have to carry this baggage around any more. Jesus wants to take this baggage away from you. He wants you to live an abundant life in Him.

In order to be able to toss the baggage aside and give your worries to God there is something you need to do first. Look at verse 6 again.

1 Peter 5:6 NIV

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Charles Spurgeon said, “He who can do all things without Christ will end in doing nothing.”

When we humble ourselves before God, we are telling Him that we can not do it on our own.

It is so hard for us to ask for help at times. That leads to another problem, pride. We can’t let all these spirits control our life.

We have to come to the Father and admit that we need help. Help could come in all forms. It could be asking for prayer. It could be getting the counseling that you need. It could be listening to a sermon or reading a book. It may be just picking up the Bible and asking God to show you something in His word.

When we humble ourselves before God we are saying to God I can’t do this on my own.

And Peter tells us that when we humble ourself under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift us up in due time.

God wants to life you up. He wants you to succeed. God wants you to be victorious. He doesn’t want you to walk around in defeat. He wants you walk with your head held high knowing that God will lift you up.

So, once you have the humility thing happening for you and you have come to the conclusion that you need God’s assistance dealing with your baggage, it’s time to do the next thing.

Give to Jesus.

Just pick up the baggage that you have been trying to carry around on your own and give it to Jesus.

I know that sounds too simple.

In order to be able to do this we must look at the example of Mary, Martha’s sister.

Go with me to the book of Luke chapter 10.

Luke 10:38–42 NIV

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

The best thing that I can tell you from this example is you have to make time for Jesus.

Do you understand what I am saying?

We live in a world where we have information overload. The problem is, all that information neglects the most important thing. Jesus.

The best way to give your baggage to Jesus is to spend time with Jesus.

If you are worried about everything then you are neglecting the one thing.

In verse 7 of our text we have the right formula for getting rid of the worry and anxiety that we tend to carry with us.

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

When was the last time, out side of church, that you took a moment to spend time with Jesus.

Martha was all busy trying to get the house ready. She wanted everything to be perfect. That she forget about the most important person in the room that day. Jesus was right there in her house and she couldn’t be bothered to spend time with Jesus.

We should all be more like Mary but the unfortunate news is that we are more like Martha.

Jesus wants to spend time with you and when you decide to spend time with Him He will take your anxieties and worries away.

It doesn’t mean that your life will be perfect. But it will be much better.

And the last thing that you must do is TRUST HIM.

Trust Jesus!

You can trust Jesus fully. I think part of the problem with our baggage is we get used to carrying it around. It becomes like a comfort blanket to us. Watch this clip from a Charlie Brown Christmas and notice Linus’ blanket as he is giving the speech.

Video: Linus Christmas Speech

Did you notice it? When Linus says fear not he drops the blanket. He drops the thing that brings him the most comfort. He understands that with Jesus there is no fear. He doesn’t have to fear anymore. There is trust in Jesus. There is comfort in the arms of Jesus.

All my fears and worries and anxieties can be placed in His arms.

I can let go of the baggage that I’ve been carrying around and I can know that Jesus loves me. He wants the best for me. And I can let go of the baggage, place my trust in Jesus and make Him first priority in my life. Nothing else matters, except my life in Christ.

Think about this for a moment.

If God didn’t care, would He share His one and only Son with you?

If Jesus didn’t care would He have humbled Himself, to the point of death, for you?

Is Peter trying to deceive you when he says to cast all your anxieties onto Jesus, because He cares for you?

It’s time to let go of the suspicion.

It’s time to let go of the doubt.

It’s time to let go of the baggage.

And it is time to trust Jesus with your life today and everyday hereafter.

It’s time to pray and ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life.

Let’s Pray.