Give your cares to God

City Harbor Church – Hampden, Baltimore, MD

“Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 CSB

I. What does Peter mean by this?

“Cares” – to care for someone or something, careful or anxious concern about someone or something, a feeling of apprehension or distress in view of possible danger or misfortune, anxiety, worry, anxious concern’ to be pained by thinking. It may refer to either unnecessary worry or legitimate concern.

Either way it is helpful to be honest about what we are thinking and feeling. Either way, give it all to God.

This is not helpful if we lack an honest evaluation of our reality. It’s not helpful if we can’t be honest with ourselves. It’s not helpful if we can’t be honest with God. It’s not helpful if we think that Christianity asks us to be delusional.

“As a deer thirsts for streams of water, so I thirst for you, God. I thirst for the living God. When can I go to meet with him? Day and night, my tears have been my food. People are always saying, ‘Where is your God?’ When I remember these things, I speak with a broken heart. I used to walk with the crowd and lead them to God’s Temple with songs of praise. Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my hope in God and keep praising him, my Savior and 6 my God. I am very sad. So I remember you,” – Psalms 42:1-6 NCV

David unpacked what he was thinking and feeling. David had a conversation with himself. That turned into a conversation with God, which David found helpful. This turned into a conversation that David shared with us.

II. How does Jesus teach us to respond?

“Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 CSB

“Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 NCV

Peter uses the same word in 1 Peter 5:7 as Jesus does in his parable of the Sower and the seeds, in Matthew 13:3-23 (“cares of the world…choke the word, and it proves unfruitful,” – Matthew 13:22).

Matthew 13:7,22 “choked” bringing death by crowding them out and/or overshadowing them, to cause trouble to, with the implication of dire consequences and a weakened state, to overwhelm

Peter heard Jesus give a warning about the danger of our “cares”. Peter heard Jesus teach a personal responsibility in how we respond to cares in our relationship with God. Do we give more power to what God says or what our cares say? Jesus also says that he will help and heal those who turn to him with their cares. Jesus teaches us to turn our hearts to hear what God is saying and respond to it more than we respond to those other factors. This is responding to God’s message about our identity, value, and purpose with the Kingdom of God and the Jesus Movement. “I would heal them.” – Matthew 13:15

“Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 NCV

Cast – throw, give to, transfer responsibility from me to you, “Make him responsible for all your worries.”

“God is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalms 34:18 NIV

“God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (healing their pain and comforting their sorrow).” – Psalms 147:3 AMP

Give your cares to the God who cares for you, and then you will be changed.

III. What does Paul say we should do?

“4 Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy. 5 Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. 7 And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. 9 Do what you learned and received from me, what I told you, and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:4-9

“Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 CSB

“Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 NCV

“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 ESV