Cast Your “Cares Bags” – Part II

The question was simply enough: "How does on cast his or her 'cares bags' upon God?" Tired of carrying them around and experiencing the frustrations and burnout that come with such an effort, often times after the umpteenth time of resolving to leave them at the Cross, some of us can relate to it. We want to put them down, but we have carried them for so long they are as comfortable as our favourite pair of old shoes. Breaking up seems hard to do.

Generally speaking, at the root of our cares are our anxieties about any number of things. Our jobs, our families, our future, the economy, to name a few. A significant amount of our time is spent thinking, planning, being restless and sleep deprived, trying to make the pieces fit. Where God seems to be silent, we feel compelled to fill in the blanks. After all, as the saying goes, God helps those who help themselves. Yet the apostle Paul, writing to the Philippians, had a word for our counterparts of his time: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6, ESV). In everything, Paul? Yes, in everything! In other words, as we find ourselves in situations that provoke our anxieties, instead of yielding to the temptation to think about them, talk to God about them. This can be very difficult to do after years of carrying our own cares bags, but to the Corinthians Paul encouraged, "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete" (2 Cor. 10:4-6). The stress and negativity in our minds can be taken captive to obey Christ and that happens when we refuse to give in to them and turn them over to Him.

When we are able to do this, the benefits are profound. As we cast our cares upon Him through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:7). That is an awesome trade! We give Him our anxieties and He gives us His peace which stands guard over our hearts and minds. Where there is peace, there cannot be turmoil. It is impossible to sincerely praise God and worry at the same time. We can rest comfortably in the fact that God has everything under control. He knows what we have need of even before we ourselves know we have the need. As Matthew Henry observes, "It is the duty and interest of Christians to live without care. There is a care of diligence which is our duty, and consists in a wise forecast and due concern; but there is a care of [self-doubt] and distrust which is our sin and folly, and which only perplexes and distracts the mind."

To avoid this distraction, which can cause us to take up our "cares bags" again, we need to be mindful of the things we think about and meditate on. Again from Paul, "Finally, brothers [and sisters], whatever is true, whatever is [honourable], whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Phil. 4:8). This is God's "formula" for peace of mind and heart. It is one that He expects you to use. Remember, it is His responsibility to take care of those who are His.