Hope, Healing & Freedom Podcast: Episode 111
TRANSCRIPT
Anxiety, stress and worry can take a toll on us physically, emotionally and spiritually. The rate of people experiencing anxiety and related issues has skyrocketed since the pandemic. Anxiety, stress and worry are peace robbers. If not dealt with they can completely shut a person down and they can certainly keep us from walking in our destiny! Find out in today’s podcast how you can release your concerns and anxieties and be restored, set firmly in place, made stronger and be built up!
In today’s podcast we’re talking about what it means to “cast your cares” and how to do it.
This is Cindi Whitman with Restoring the Foundations. Do you find yourself thinking about, worrying about, or concerned about situations and circumstances in your life? There certainly are a lot of things to be concerned about. Maybe you’re worried or concerned about how you’re going to pay the bills? Maybe you are losing sleep about a relationship or lack of one? Do you find yourself wondering what the future holds for you, and your children, or grandchildren? And then there’s the fact that we’re in the USA we’re in the middle of a hot election season and the outcome will greatly affect all of us. There is no shortage of things that may be keeping you up at night.
Our scripture for today is I Peter 5:7 “Casting all your cares on him because He cares for you.” (NIV) The Passion Translation says it like this, “Pour out your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he tenderly cares for you.”
I think to see the totality of the meaning of this scripture we need to look at the scripture in context. Let’s look at a few other verses. 1 Peter 5:7-10 “Casting all of your cares on him, because he cares about you. 8 Be sober minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while.”
Scholars say that most likely Peter is the writer of 1 Peter. Peter is writing to the Gentile believers. Many of them are experiencing persecution for their faith. Peter is reminding the believers that they aren’t alone; others are experiencing difficult times. He is focusing their attention on the end result. In the end comes restoration, being established, strengthened and receiving support, after we’ve suffered a little while. A few years after this writing Peter was put to death because of his faith. He was writing from experience and to encourage others to look beyond their current circumstances. His perspective is that our sufferings are “for a little while”. I don’t know about you but there have been times in my life where I felt like the sufferings were more than a little while. We have to realize that Peter’s perspective was compared to eternity with Jesus, everything is “a little while”.
A memory came back to me as I am writing this about “a little while”. Hold on guys, I’m going to use an example that has nothing to do with sports. Some memories just stand out and you never forget them. When I was giving birth to our second child I was in the midst of a painful situation. I had prepared ahead of time, and we were using the Lamaze method of childbirth. It was a lot of panting and blowing to get through the very painful contractions. Since we already had one son, I was more familiar with what was happening to my body than I had been the first time around. The goal was to give birth without the assistance of pain medication. You were supposed to bring with you a picture of something to focus on. Maybe the picture of your other child or a newborn baby. It was to remind you and focus your attention not on the current pain but on the end result. I remember after a few hours of painful contractions accompanied by a lot of panting and blowing and reminding Lee that this was all his fault and that I was desperate for some relief. I asked the nurse for pain medication. She answered, “Sorry, dear, you’ve waited too long.” “What do you mean that I’ve waited too long?” “The baby is almost here, and the drugs won’t have time to take effect.” Yeah! I thought my pain was about to be relieved. The baby was almost here. What I didn’t know is that her “almost here, just a little while longer” and my “almost here, just a little while longer” were not the same length of time. What I thought would be maybe five more minutes ended up being like 45 more minutes and a lot of intense pain. Now 45 minutes doesn’t sound like so much time but when you’re in the middle of it and you don’t know when the end or the actual birth is coming it seems like an eternity. If I had just known when the end of my pain would come, I thought it would be easier to handle. If I’d had a countdown clock that showed me the remaining time, I would have been able to mentally prepare myself. However, babies come when they’re ready.
Like Peter said, we need to look at the end promise not on the current circumstances. Often this is how we feel about life. If we just knew how long this challenge was going to last. If we just knew when my prodigal was going to come home. If we just knew when I was going to get the raise. If we only knew when the knight in shining armor was going to show up! Peter is saying in 1 Peter 5:7 in the midst of whatever you’re going through…cast your cares on Him, because He cares for you.
So, most of us know the verse “cast your cares on him” but how do we do that? Cast is a verb. It requires action on our part. I don’t like to fish. In fact, I think I only have fished once in my life when I was about seven years old, but I’ve watched a fishing show where the guy stands in the middle of the river, and he casts his fishing line into the water. The water is swirling around him and he’s very intentional about his actions. In the Greek the word cast means “to throw” with various degrees of violence, or “to throw upon”. The fisherman is casting his line to catch something. You’re casting to get rid of something! Casting isn’t a one-time thing. It’s an ongoing intentional act.
So, stop for a minute and picture yourself standing in front of Jesus. I see Jesus sitting in a chair, maybe it’s his throne and I am casting each and every care on him. I’m throwing those cares on him. It’s an intentional act. Okay Jesus, here you go. Here are my financial concerns, here are my cares about the future, here are my health concerns, here are my concerns about my family members, they’re all yours. Wow! The weight is lifted. The load is gone. Jesus is sitting there with a lapful of my cares. He doesn’t look worried or concerned at all.
Ask Jesus if there are any other cares that you need to give to him? If he points something out then give that to him too.
Now the second challenge begins. The challenge to leave them there. The challenge to not pick them up again. Look at what Peter says immediately following this verse. “Be sober minded, be alert.” In other words, pay attention! Your adversary, or your enemy Satan, the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. He’s not playing. He’s out for the kill and you are his potential next meal. We can’t get lax or apathetic. According to John 10:10 he’s out to “kill, steal and destroy” you. He does that by putting thoughts in your mind. His thoughts are always destructive. They are never positive, and hope filled. He robs you of sleep and steals your joy. He is going to continue to try to bombard you with thoughts filled with anxiety and fear.
Several years ago, we were in South Africa on a safari. We slept in a canvas walled tent in a compound that was surrounded by 15-foot barbed wire. (thankfully with indoor bathrooms and a cement floor) I was exhausted from the day’s travel and went to sleep quickly. About midnight I was awakened by a sound. I laid in my bed and listened intently. I was quite sure that what I heard was a lion roaring. It sounded to me like it was just on the other side of that wire fence.
Logically I knew that the lion could not get to us but try telling yourself that in the middle of the night! Needless to say, I had a difficult time going back to sleep.
Did you know that the roar of a lion can carry for up to 5 miles? That lion was most likely a long way away and yet it felt like it was too close for comfort. Through their powerful roars, lions establish their dominance, communicate with pride members, and defend their territories. Our enemy, Satan, roars like a lion. His roar can be heard from a long way off. He prowls. He is looking for anyone he can devour. Just like a lion he is looking for prey that is separated from the group or pride of lions. He, Satan, is looking for weakness. He is trying to put fear in your heart and fill you with anxiety. He is looking for one that is isolated, the one that is discouraged, or frustrated with their circumstances. He is looking to intimidate you and take you out! Look at vs 9, “Resist him, stand firm in the faith, knowing the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, establish, strengthen and support you after you have suffered a little while.” So, we have a responsibility to resist and stand firm but we have to be aware of the enemy’s strategies to accuse us and to bring us down. Peter reminds us that fellow believers are experiencing the same thing…that’s kind of like saying, misery loves company…just know that you’re not the only one experiencing hardship. You’re not alone and look at the promise! This is what we must be laser focused on. Satan is not more powerful than God. It’s not even close! Christ himself will RESTORE, ESTABLISH, STRENGTHEN, and SUPPORT you after you have suffered a little while.
Let’s go back to my story about birthing. I don’t really know how long the “little while” was but what I do know is that when I held our newborn son in my arms, I forgot about all of the pain. The joy of holding our precious baby boy dimmed the memory of the painful contractions.
When we are in the midst of a trial or challenge we must co-labor (pun not intended) with him by casting all of our cares upon him. We must turn our focus on the end result. Did you notice that Peter doesn’t say, Ask Jesus to come and take your cares away? Jesus isn’t going to take anything away from us. He won’t violate our will. We have to give him the care, the worry and the anxiety. It’s often not a one-time event. Have you cast your cares on him only to find yourself worried and concerned again later in the day? Jesus didn’t give them back to you, you had to take them back. We have to continue to cast them, give them to him and leave them with him. Not only will we experience the peace that is beyond our understanding but often our releasing them to him allows him and his angels to work more effectively. As we continue to leave them with him, be aware and sober minded of the strategies of the enemy, resist him and stand firm against him then we will experience the RESTORATION. We will be ESTABLISHED, STRENGTHENED AND SUPPORTED. The verse says, it’ll happen “in a little while”. Know that God’s little while and your little while may not be the same, but his promise is true we just have to hold on.
I remember a time in our lives when everything seemed to be upside down. Lee and I both felt that we were obeying God but not happy with the circumstances. Our “little while” lasted longer than we anticipated but when it turned, it turned overnight! Our situation radically changed in a moment. We couldn’t have imagined how God would change things. The pain of that previous season dimmed as we stepped into the new things God had for us. He certainly restored, established, strengthened us and supported us.
I want to encourage you today to find a quiet place sometime today. Write down everything that you’re concerned, worried or anxious about. Your list might be a long one. Then picture yourself taking each one of those concerns and putting it in the hands of Jesus. You’re intentionally casting them on to him! As you give him each one mark it off your list. When you’re finished just sit down and “be” in his presence. Ask him whatever is on your heart. Listen with different ears now that you’re not carrying that heavy load. It’s not yours to carry, it never was, it’s his! Throughout your day check in with yourself (I know that sounds weird) have you taken the concerns back? If so, then cast them once again on Jesus. As you continue to be intentional about these things you will find such peace. You will come to know him in a more intimate way. You will see him work things out and you will experience the restoration, establishing, support and strength promised.
I know it’s not as easy as it sounds. It’ll take some practice, intentionality and diligence to continually cast your cares on Him but trust in knowing that the outcome is going to be good! Also, know that in Romans 8:11 That the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives in you! With the power of the Holy Spirit and because of his grace that we will experience all that he has for us. It’s a faith walk, and we have to do our part. We must do the casting so he can do the restoring, establishing, supporting and strengthening!
PRAYER
Jesus, I thank you for each one listening today. Lord, we are all carrying things that we shouldn’t. Help us to intentionally cast each one of our cares on you today! As we cast them into your arms, show us the strategies of the enemy. Where is he roaring in our lives? Is there somewhere that we are vulnerable? If so, please show us today. Lord, I know that there are others that are experiencing the same anxieties and concerns that I have. Help me to be an example of how to live free from the anxieties of this life and keep my eyes on you. My struggle is but for a little while. I look forward to watching how you are going to restore, establish, support and strengthen me in the days ahead.
Thank you for joining us today. If you have been blessed by this podcast we’d love to hear from you. Please like and share this podcast with someone.
Learning to cast your cares is one part of the RTF Integrated approach to healing. If you find that you keep going back to anxiety and fear you might need some help in maintaining your freedom. Reach out and find out about receiving RTF ministry. Go to our website www.restoringthefoundations.org. At the top you’ll find the Ministry Tab. Find a team and you will be on your way to lasting healing and freedom! Don’t stay stuck and don’t settle for less!
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