The Rev. Annie Shear
Are you tired of wrestling over and over again with the same old concerns? Has it become aggravating to the point it is beginning to weigh you down? 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for us”. Just throw it on him, and let him carry your burdens. Jesus said we could cast all of our cares on him because he cares for us! There is nothing we are going through that we cannot cast on the Lord.
A burden could be described in many ways. Firstly, a burden could be something that causes you lots of worry or hard work. For example, sending a child off to school, while being a single parent, can cause you to stress often. All of a sudden, the business closes and you have no job, nor do you have any other moral source of support. You will begin to question yourself. How am I going to make this work? Worry and stress; just throw those burdens and concerns on Jesus for he cares for you. Let God handle that situation, which will soon send you favor.
Secondly, a burden can be a heavy load that is difficult to carry mentally and physically; the sickness of someone that you truly love or maybe you yourself. That sickness could be one that is incurable. While watching a love one suffer it could be more than you can bear. Those cares are what the Lord wants you to cast on him.
In 1 Peter 5:7, these words were written to the suffering saints in the early church who were experiencing intense suffering and extreme persecution; not because they were doing anything wrong, but because they were living out their faith in humility and righteousness. Peter wanted them to know that no matter what you are going through, all of your worries and anxieties can be thrown on the Lord, because he cares for us. David encouraged the same type of commitment in Psalm 55:22 when he said, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
If your past hurts, disappointments, and/or mistreatments hinder your ability to trust your precious Father, please take the time to get to know a God you can cast your burden on. If you don’t know how to get in touch with the Lord, consider a one-on-one bible study with a Christian friend, a church Bible study class, Sunday school, or spiritual Christian counseling. Get to know the loving Lord who you can cast your care on. You will learn to trust the One who loves you far more than anyone ever could. Remember you can come to him as you are, and receive him as he is. So my friend, take everything that is bothering and weighing you down, and cast it on a kind and loving God! Trust me, God cares for the righteous.
The Rev. Annie Shear is associate chaplain of Cleveland Regional Medical Center in Shelby and associate pastor of St. Peter Baptist Church, Grover
