| Christian Life and Doctrine | August 1979 |
Casting Our Cares upon the Lord
“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.” —I Peter 5:7
THIS is a well-known text and is often found as a motto in Christian homes, as a reminder of God’s constant care. The Apostle Peter was used by the Lord to give us these words of encouragement because of his experiences. We are exhorted by him to rid ourselves of cares and, instead, to place them upon our Lord. Peter, at one time, wanted matters his own way and was very willful in carrying out his ideas. In doing so, he burdened himself unnecessarily with many kinds of cares.
The Apostle Peter has been viewed as an impetuous and impulsive man. Yet, when Peter had a conviction he pursued it relentlessly and worried considerably about making it a reality. This was true about his belief that Jesus was the Messiah.
When Jesus asked his disciples, “Whom do men say I … am? … But whom say ye that I am?” it was Peter who was so quick to respond, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matt. 16:13-23) Because of his answer, Jesus told Peter that he was blessed—that flesh and blood had not revealed this to him but that the Father in heaven had.
But Peter was also an anxious man. He could not understand why Jesus spoke of suffering. Above all, he could not understand why Jesus had to go to Jerusalem to die, for the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon the disciples. These statements by Jesus worried Peter; and in turning these thoughts over in his mind he finally gave vent to his concern and said, “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” (Matt. 16:22) Peter became even more perplexed when Jesus rebuked him with the words: “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”—Matt. 16:23
It might also appear that Peter lacked courage, because he denied Jesus three times. Yet, while the other disciples fled, Peter trailed the mob and the soldiers who had arrested Jesus. Why? It has been suggested that Peter had not given up hope of seeing Jesus acclaimed as the Messiah and that he sought an opportunity to turn matters in that direction. There is also no doubt that Peter was eager to fight for our Lord. It is assumed that it was Peter who said to Jesus, “Behold, here are two swords,” as recorded in Luke 22:36-38. The occasion was when Jesus asked his disciples that a sword be purchased. When they came with two swords, Jesus replied, “It is enough.” His purpose in having them take the swords was to show that when taken captive he would not offer resistance, even though he had the means. Peter evidently had a sword and sought to use it in defense of his Master. He swung it and cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest. “Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear.” (John 18:10) Peter wanted to fight for the kingdom and was perplexed by our Lord’s willing submission to the authorities.
At the time of the last supper, when Jesus established the memorial of his death, he said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.” (Luke 22:31) Satan’s attacks are subtle and are directed at the mind. His strategy in this instance was to confuse Peter’s mind with anxious thought and to convince him that his actions were right. Satan befuddled him with other opinions and more anxiety. By doing so he was almost able to sift Peter as wheat. But Peter, by the grace of God, outwitted Satan by casting all his anxiety upon the Lord, realizing that God’s providences in his life would prevail. God’s providences included Peter, as well as all Israel and all mankind.
Jesus had prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail, and it did not. Peter had resisted the Devil by being steadfast in the faith. Hence, later he was able to strengthen his brethren by writing: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (I Pet. 5:6-9) The Diaglott translation indicates previous action on our part. It says, “Having cast all your anxiety upon him,” suggesting that we perform this as soon as we enter the narrow way; and this we must do.
Peter was thorough. He not only cast upon the Lord all his anxieties relating to the establishment of the messianic kingdom but he also cast upon our Lord all his fears and anxious thoughts as to what was to befall him personally. Now he was ready for the humbling process and suffering for Christ. “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”—I Pet. 5:4,5
This “care” that Peter tells us to cast upon the Lord is a translation of the Greek word merimna, meaning “over-anxious care or thought.” In the Sermon on the Mount this word is translated “thought.” “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” (Matt. 6:25) The Diaglott version reads, “Therefore, I charge you, Be not anxious about your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor about your body, what you shall wear. Is not the life of more value than food, and the body than raiment?”
In this marvelous sermon, Jesus directed his listeners (and us, as readers) to God’s creation and nature, such as the birds and flowers, seeking to teach us reliance upon God. What simple, direct lessons are found in God’s natural realm! “Observe the birds of heaven; they sow not, nor reap, nor gather into storehouses; but your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you of greater value than they? Besides, which of you, by being anxious, can prolong his life one moment? And why are you anxious about raiment? Mark the lilies of the field. How do they grow? They neither labor nor spin; yet I tell you, That not even Solomon in all his splendor, was arrayed like one of these. If, then, God so decorate the herb of the field, (which flourishes today, and tomorrow will be cast into a furnace,) how much more you, O you distrustful! Therefore, be not anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, With what shall we be clothed? for all the nations require these things; and your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek you first his righteousness and kingdom; and all these things shall be superadded to you. Be not anxious, then, about the morrow; for the morrow will claim anxiety for itself. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.”—Matt. 6:26-34, Diaglott
Furthermore, Jesus asks us, “Which of you, by being anxious, can prolong his life one moment?” Worry in any form causes impairment (physical and spiritual) and makes us easier targets for Satan’s attacks.
In the Parable of the Sower, the seed that fell among thorns was almost choked out of existence by the cares (anxieties—merimna) of this world as well as the riches and pleasures of this life. (Matt. 13:22) On another occasion Jesus, in warning his disciples about the day of the Lord, again referred to the anxieties of life: “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be oppressed by gluttony, and drunkenness, and anxieties of life, and that day should come unexpectedly upon you.”—Luke 21:34, Diaglott
The Luke account tells of a visit Jesus made to the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Martha was overly busy in her task of entertaining our Lord, while Mary sat listening at the feet of Jesus. Finally Martha could contain herself no longer and said, “‘Master, dost thou not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to assist me.’ And the Lord answering, said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, thou art anxious, and troublest thyself about many things; but of few things, or of one, is there need; and Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’”—Luke 10:38-42, Diaglott
The usual lesson associated with this incident is that we should prefer obtaining spiritual food and should seek it over and above other duties. This is true. But if we should carry this thought to an extreme, who would do the serving? The real lesson is not in the choice that Martha had made (to serve), but rather, concerning the agitated state of mind she developed. The gentle chiding of Jesus called attention to the “good part” and that she should not be overanxious about the necessary duties of life.
Throughout the King James version of the Bible this Greek word merimna has been translated in various ways, hiding the true meaning. It has been translated “care,” “careful,” “thought,” and “to take thought.” The Diaglott translation, on the other hand, is far more consistent and usually translates this word “anxiety” and “over-anxiety.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus associated anxiety with that of serving mammon, or riches and wealth of this world personified. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matt. 6:24) Men serve mammon because of self-concern, selfishness, or fear. In this sermon Jesus was introducing the people to a new Master, One they could rely upon and trust—his Father in heaven. This new Master would take care of them. They were not to devote their lives to selfish gain. Rather, they were told to “seek … first his righteousness and kingdom; and all these things shall be superadded to you.”—Matt. 6:33, Diaglott
This was not an easy lesson for the disciples of Jesus’ day to learn. Nor is it for us. Mammon has always been an untrustworthy master. As long as there is a profit for a business concern to which one is giving his service, he has a job. As soon as profits cease, he is not needed, and his job is lost. When we analyze the type of philosophies the world lives by, which include the survival of the fittest, it is little wonder that people of the world can worry themselves to death. There are many fears attached to these philosophies, such as concern that the fit cannot always remain fit. Jesus tried to convey to his disciples the idea that we should have confidence and trust in God. We are not to be like the seed that fell among thorns (in the Parable of the Sower), failing to seek first his righteousness but permitting the cares (anxieties) of this life to stunt growth and not yield fruits.
Satan has succeeded in making the people of the world very fearful. There are many kinds of fears; possibly foremost is fear because of want or distress. We, as God’s people, have learned how to overcome this fear, even as Paul wrote to Timothy, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (II Tim. 1:7) By placing our trust in God, it is possible for us to overcome the fears of want and distress.
Is there any way in which anxiety can be considered permissible? Certainly anxiety about material things for self is wrong. We are striving to be unselfish, not more selfish. Even the anxious care of the mother for her children, noble as it is, is not purely unselfish. They are her flesh and blood. Truly unselfish anxiety might be anxiety for the things of the Lord or about our relationship to the Lord. Yet, even in this the Lord does not want us to be overanxious.
We must not go to the extreme of thinking that God wants us to be careless. This thought might be derived from Philippians 4:6 as translated in the King James version of the Scriptures: “Be careful for nothing.” As translated, this scripture implies being careless or giving no thought. Other scriptures, however, make it clear that we are not to be careless. For example, the Apostle Paul says, “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” (Rom. 12:11) Solomon said, “He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.” (Prov. 18:9) Satan is the greatest waster of all—wasting the lives and resources of men, and the resources of the earth, for self-gain.
We are also told by the Apostle Paul, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (I Tim. 5:8) Is it possible for a Christian to work in “providing things honest in the sight of all men” and in doing so not to be serving mammon? The answer is yes. Serving mammon is the love of money. The Christian, in earning his daily bread, is doing so to the praise, honor, and glory of God and not for the love of money. He is a steward of the Lord’s goods and must not be careless. In fact, he must be the most careful of persons, because there are many snares and pitfalls which are set by his three opponents: the flesh, the world, and the Devil.
If we cannot avoid anxiety, let us try to be anxious about the right things. Some of us are habitual worriers, and no amount of logic can deter such from becoming anxious. How can we direct such anxiety into the correct channels? The Apostle Paul tells us how this can be done. In II Corinthians 11:23-27 he enumerates all his sufferings for Christ and adds to these in the 28th verse: “Besides these outward troubles, the anxious care for all the congregations, which is crowding me every day.” (Diaglott) Here we have merimna used in a favorable way. Having anxiety for the people of God is proper. The Apostle Paul says that such anxiety (toward one another) would prevent divisions in the body of Christ. “So that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may be concerned equally for each other.” (I Cor. 12:25, Diaglott) Furthermore, proper concern for each other in the body of Christ would lead to the strengthening of the bonds of love. “And whether one member suffer, all the members sympathize; or, whether one member is glorified, all the members rejoice with it.” (I Cor. 12:26, Diaglott) Hence, if we must have anxiety, let it be for the people of God.
But what about Peter’s admonition to cast all our cares upon the Lord? The Apostle Paul agrees thoroughly and tells us in Philippians 4:6, “Be not anxious about anything; but in everything let your petitions be made known to God, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.” (Diaglott) This is the best advice. Anxiety, of any kind, is to be avoided, even by consecrated Christians. The burden is too much to bear, and all of us are weak. Hence Peter advises us to cast our cares upon the Lord early in our Christian lives, because God is able to bear these cares for us.
In the context of Philippians, fourth chapter, we also read, “Be joyful in the Lord at all times; I say again, be joyful!” (vs. 4, Diaglott) These words of admonition are a proper setting for the thoughts expressed by the apostle in this chapter. If the Lord’s people, having the advance knowledge of the joyful times ahead for all people, should be sad in these troublous days, who then can be joyful? There are times when they too must mourn, but at other times they should bring good cheer to all they meet.
Notice, too, that the Lord, through the Apostle Paul, does not admonish us not to “be anxious about anything” without giving us advice as to how to make this a reality. In the remaining words of that text he supplies us with the practical approach to its accomplishment. “But in everything let your petitions be made known to God, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.” (Phil. 4:6, Diaglott) We should underscore everything. Whatever the problem causing our anxiety—whether a brother or an entire congregation, whether a family member, or personal failings, whether a matter at home or at our place of employment, whether big or small—we are foolish to bear these burdens alone. If we have not learned already, we must learn how to unburden our hearts in prayer to the Lord. This is an absolute necessity, or else we can break under the strain of a heavy but unnecessary burden by trying to carry it alone. When anyone tries to carry a burden alone, either of two possibilities exists. One is that he is ignorant of the knowledge that God cares and is willing to relieve the burden. The other is that he lacks confidence in the Lord’s ability to carry the load. Both situations can be caused by a lack of faith.
A well-known hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” beautifully expresses these sentiments:
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“O, what peace we often forfeit, “Have we trials and temptations? “Are we weak and heavy laden, |
Many times these texts of consolation fail to console the Christian because fulfillment does not occur in the precise manner or time expected. It is necessary to watch and pray, and as we unburden our hearts before the Lord we will find in time that these texts are fulfilled. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,—to those being invited according to a purpose.”—Rom. 8:28, Diaglott
There are questions involving our lives, and there are events in the world which could cause ‘us much anxiety. How far will we have to go into the time of trouble? Will inflation wipe out our savings? Will we see atomic bomb warfare? Will terrorists strike at us? These are just a few samples. We know that fearful and foreboding times lie ahead. The day of the Lord’s wrath is upon the world. Are we fearful? Anxious? We are not to become panic-stricken. In these evil days in which we live, we may not be able to avoid disconcerting cares and worries, but we should know how to relieve the burden. Take it to the Lord in prayer. May the words of Peter lie in our hearts as we face the days ahead! “Having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”—I Pet. 5:7, Diaglott