Trust Is Scary
“1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Another version refers to “casting all your care upon Him, because He cares for you” (NKJV).”
We have trouble trusting God to do a better job caring for us than we could for ourselves. After all, most of us have been let down by people more than once in our lives. We’ve learned to look out for number one. But God is not like us.
Are you convinced that God cares for you? Until you are convinced, you will never cast your cares on him. You will carry on alone, caring and carrying too much. God has been caring for you since the very beginning. How has God shown his care for you? Think about it for a moment. He cared for you when he knit you together in your mother’s womb. He cared for you when he put a purpose and a destiny in you. He cared for you when he came to earth to redeem humanity. He cared for you when he showed himself the friend of sinners. He cared for you when he was accused falsely, tried unjustly, and sentenced to death. He cared for you when he was stripped naked so you could be clothed in righteousness.
He cared for you when they put a cross on his back and marched him to Calvary hill.
He cared for you when they laid him on his back and drove six-inch nails through his hands and feet. He cared for you when he looked out at the sea of people and said, “Father, forgive them, because they don’t know what they are doing.” He cared for you when he bore your sin, the biggest and most impossible burden you could ever have. He cared for you when he was resurrected the third day, declaring to all humanity this was the death of death. He cared for you when he promised to be with you until the end of time. I could go on forever, because his care goes on forever. You will never find the end of it. His love won’t run out. His affection knows no end. You can’t exhaust his mercy, exasperate his patience, or escape his compassion. And because he cares for you, you can cast all your cares upon him. Cast Your Cares
Casting our worries on God sounds a bit like escapism, like denying reality. It sounds irresponsible.
Some even think helping Jesus out is more spiritual than casting their cares on him. Letting Jesus carry the load—they think—is for the weak, the immature, the desperate. Somehow worrying and stressing out make them feel like they are carrying at least part of the load. Others assume Jesus only cares about the big problems in life. And since he’s running the universe, their daily doubts and petty problems aren’t worth his time. But none of that is true. We don’t need to do life in our strength! We don’t need to carry our share, to help God out, to buck up and shut up and carry on alone. We are called and commanded to cast our cares on him. "Casting” takes effort, by the way. It takes intentionality. Sometimes we say things like, “Let go and let God,” but casting is more than that. You can’t inadvertently cast a heavy pack onto someone else’s back. You can’t accidently cast a fishing line. Casting is a decision, and it’s yours to make. Will you cast your cares upon God? Or will you complain to him, ask for his help—and then walk away with the weight still on your shoulders? And yet, that is what 1 Peter 5:7 is like to so many people. “Oh, that verse is so cute. Cast all your cares upon Jesus. That’s a nice verse, but it’s for people who don’t have any real responsibilities. It’s for people who don’t have actual pressure and worry. It’s for people who don’t have a past like my past. That verse works for some people, but not for me because I live in reality. That is dead wrong. If you feel like you are carrying so much weight that you can’t take another step; if you feel like you’ve injured yourself emotionally and mentally because you’ve borne too much for too long; if you feel like life is overwhelming and you’re facing it alone—then you are precisely the person Peter was writing to. This verse is for you. Make A Weight Shift
“A few years ago DawnCheré and I had the opportunity to go to England while I completed a study abroad course. One weekend a group of us went mountain climbing in the Lake District. It was more of a hike, really, but mountain climbing sounds more extreme. There were about twenty-five of us in the group, people of all ages and abilities, plus our guide.”
“This guide was no joke. He was prepared for the worst, and something told me he was hoping it would happen. From his equipment to his clothing to his demeanor, the man was a true professional. We started our ascent, and he pushed us hard. He kept yelling, “We stay together. We finish together.” Halfway through the climb, there was one young woman who kept falling to the back of the pack. Time and time again, our guide scaled back and walked with her, all the while encouraging her not to give in. Finally, she came to a breaking point. She was too exhausted and discouraged to keep going.”
“The guide went over to her. “Are you okay?” “No,” she said, in tears. “This is too much for me. I can’t do it.” The guide replied, “I know you can do this. You can make it to the top.” “No,” she insisted. “I can’t make it one more step.” “I know you can make it to the top, we just have to make a weight shift.” “What are you talking about?” she said. “Give me your backpack.” The fatigued young woman said, “But then you’ll be carrying two packs. It’s too much weight.”
The guide looked at her and laughed. “Trust me. I’ve done this before.” Then he grabbed her pack and almost jogged to the front of the line. We all made it to the top that day. I’ve never forgotten his words: “We just have to make a weight shift.” I think Jesus, the guide of our lives, is saying the same thing to you and me. “You can do this. You can stay the course. You can finish the race. Just make a weight shift.”
“If you are tired, if you are weary, if you are ready to quit, come to Jesus.”
What weights are holding you back? What burdens are you bearing that you were never designed for? It’s time to make a weight shift. It’s time to transfer your cares and concerns and anxieties to the only one capable of handling them. If you are tired, if you are weary, if you are ready to quit, come to Jesus. Take his yoke upon you. Learn from him. Rest in him. Cast your cares upon him. Trust in his ability to carry you through. Listen for the confident, compassionate voice of your Savior and guide: “Trust me, I’ve done this before. I’ll carry your weight, and I’ll get you to the top. Friend, let’s make a weight shift.”
Excerpt From: Rich Wilkerson Jr. “Friend of Sinners.”
