Casting gains context.

I sometimes strain through life.  And I define every potential problem I may have, delineate every solution available, and often dwell on the worst outcome.  And when I have come to terms with whatever outcome I decide is most probable, I feel relief but for a moment before I quickly move on to another problem.  And maybe you do this too.  And we live our lives with fluctuating, but always existing, anxiety as if anxiety were our security blanket.  

But I want God’s perspective.  And we need God’s perspective.  Because in God’s perspective, in the light of God’s purpose for us, most we strain about becomes inconsequential.  It is not that our Lord does not value our anxieties--He certainly does care for us.  It is more that our anxieties become peripheral to us in God's light. 

We must see matters as our Lord sees those matters.  When we cast our cares on our Lord, our Lord graciously opens our eyes to the context of our cares.  By deliberately casting our cares on the Lord, we place those cares in the light of God’s presence.  The context of God’s presence becomes what matters.  God’s presence reminds us of His promises.  We gain the perspective that God is in control.  

And we gain the perspective that if we are seeking God, God’s purpose for our lives cannot be frustrated; no anxiety, no circumstance, no horrific outcome, no plot of the enemy, no failure, and no pain can thwart the will of God in my life.  And in your life. 

We do not have to claw through life from anxiety to anxiety because God's perspective compels us to rest in Him.  

Why do we struggle to cast our cares on our Lord?  Perhaps it is my pride.  Maybe I want to control the solution to my problem because I somehow think I can obtain the outcome I want; I can obtain the best outcome; I am the solution.  It is not that I manifestly believe these fictions; these fictions are tangled in the deep roots of my problem--they are likely subconscious, but they are no less a problem.  Perhaps these fictions pervade your thinking.

Before we can enjoy this blessing of peace in our Lord, we must give up control.  Casting, by its very nature, is relinquishing control.  We must recognize that we cannot find solutions in ourselves; we cannot find peace in ourselves. 

Then, it is no longer about the solution to our problems; it is about the process of giving control to God.  Because once we do that, our responsibilities are complete.  Giving control to God is truly the only element of the peace process that lies with us.  Our problems are far too big for us, but they are not too big for our Lord.  Any peace we find within our own solutions will be temporary and superficial.  If we do not realize our limits, we will never realize our Lord’s peace.  

I pray for humility that propels us to give control to God.  And this humility often hurts because it means realizing our own limitations.  I pray we deliberately cast our anxieties on our Lord.  This is not a passive activity that happens on its own.  Praise God that our Lord wants to carry our burdens.  Praise God for the freedom that comes with Christ’s perspective.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  (1 Peter 5:7 NIV).

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”  (Psalm 94:19 NIV).

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:6, 7 NIV).

Oh, Eggnog coffee.  You hurt me so good.

Much love to you,

Paige