Casting or Carrying
Are you casting or carrying? Are you casting your cares on God or are you carrying them yourself? If you’ve been feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders lately, you’ve answered the question.
As adults we tend to believe if there is a need within our sphere of influence (family, work, church), it is up to us to handle it. In the process, we take it upon ourselves to fix what is broken (physically, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically), to restore what has been lost (peace, love, unity), provide what is lacking (morals, values, integrity), and so on. But that’s not always what we are called to do.
1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.
Psalm 138:8
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me…
The direction and promise given in these two scriptures make it clear how we should handle the cares and concerns of life. We are directed to cast them on God. The promise is that He will perfect those things which concern us. It sounds so seemingly simple, doesn’t it?
While they are found in completely different books of the Bible, I don’t think one verse operates independently from the other. How can God perfect what concerns us when we won’t release it to Him? Trying to hold onto things and work them out on our own, in our own strength is such a futile effort.
Once we’ve cast a care, no additional action is required unless directed by Him. There may be times we truly feel spirit-led to act. Be sure any action you take does not involve intervening. There is a huge difference. If the Spirit of the Lord has placed an action upon your heart, do it. If your flesh is encouraging you to take action, don’t!
Certain situations are clear-cut and should not be given to God to handle. For example, an able-bodied individual, sitting home waiting for a job to come and asking Jesus to fix it, is probably going to be disappointed. Chances are good He won’t. He has already given that person what they need to acquire employment: mobility and intelligence. Once this person has done all they can (apply, make follow-up calls, go on interviews), it is a fair request to ask God to bless their endeavors.
Other scenarios can be much more complicated. For instance, understanding where our role ends and where God’s role begins when dealing with marital infidelity or a wayward child. We’ve talked with them, prayed for them and with them, argued, given ultimatums and more, all to no avail. Once the matter has escalated to this point, we have moved into the realm of carrying the burden of the situation instead of casting it, giving it, to God. Long before the arguing and issuance of ultimatums is when the care of the situation must be turned over to God.
Knowing where to draw the line can be confusing because scripture also reminds us of the power we have: Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Determining when to apply this instead of casting our cares is a delicate balancing act. Realizing what we are in control of and should handle vs. what (and when) to pass along to God to handle. Even if we have reached that point of balance, it can be tempting to insert ourselves back into the equation and “help God”. Rest assured, He is well able to handle whatever we give Him and does not require our assistance!
In this New Year, be intentional in casting more and carrying less.
Shawn-Ta Wilson is the author of Survival by Faith. Pick up your copy today at Amazon.com
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