We care too much. I know I care too much. Not about important things, but seemingly about everything. That bill, that lump or bump, that impending deadline, that issue that’s gnawing at relationships, the list seemingly seems to go on.

And I care about that too.

There’s always something for me to care about. I could almost make a full time living out of it. Except in truth, it would get me no where, and would achieve me nothing.

For me theres a line that we cross and that line is when ‘Care’ moves from a noun (the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something) to a verb (feel concern or interest; attach importance to something. be concerned, worry (oneself), trouble oneself, bother, mind.)

And that verb in my mind is better described as “Worry”

Can any of you add a single day to his life by worrying? – Matthew 6:27
Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34

That whole passage in Matthew usually labelled the “cure for anxiety” (Matthew 6:25 – 34) is a great read, and has some stellar verses that help bring life our troubles and priorities back into focus. But it’s almost like a band aid on a broken leg. We go away after reading that, but slowly or peace gets eroded away by the fact that our mountain is still right there mocking us to our face.

“You have no chance of paying this bill. You are going to get evicted.”
“The doctor said this is bad, really bad. Better just accept it. Put your affairs in order and move on.”
“Maybe people do just fall out of love. It happens everyday right. Maybe you have just fallen out of love.”
“No one even likes you, let alone even love you. What hope have you?”
“You know, you are just fat. How could you let yourself get that way?”
“You will never find work, you are too old, too young, too under qualified, too useless, you aren’t a provider. You’re a joke.”

At one time or another, I have danced with those less than uplifting mountains, and they are so very, very, very convincing. It’s so easy to believe a lie, when you feel like you are in it alone. It’s so easy to be beaten by a lie when you are fighting for yourself.

In fact truth of the matter is. I once very nearly gave up. I was tired, I was burnt, I was down, heck I just didn’t care anymore. My life held no meaning. I was going nowhere, and I didn’t care. I wanted to just hideaway become a hermit and merely exist until the day God called me home.

I still believed in Him. We often do, but it’s our wrong views of Him that trap us this way. We see him as non caring, as immovable, as silent. We see Him as rules, or an obligation. We most definitely don’t always see Him the way he is.

As Father, as saviour, as lover, as carer, as hope, as provider, as everything.

It was when I was in this midst, I turned to him and bitterly said “You enjoying this? I struggle while others thrive. Why even create me in the first place if I was destined to just struggle?”

And he said to me in love. “I created you because I love you, and I couldn’t not sure existence without you. I most certainly didn’t create your problems, nor did I ever make you embrace them. I have given you a way to beat them. But as of yet, you haven’t even used it.”

I replied “What did you give me?”

And he answered “1 Peter 5:6-7”

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.

It gobsmacked me. It literally halted me in my tracks. I realised that He was giving me permission to not worry about anything. He was saying, let it all go. Lay down in my presence, surrender not just your concerns, cares and worries, but your life and let me sought it out.

He wanted to become the noun version of care in my life. He wanted me to put it all aside, go find Him in His truth and presence, and not spend another moment thinking about any concern I had. In fact he said to me “I’ve already bought this debt off you, signed in a contract of my son’s blood. You pick yourself up in life and keep going, and leave the worrying to me.”

You know what I did. Exactly that. I stopped looking at how ends were going to meet, I stopped looking at the mountains and their taunting, and I just focused on the fact that under His hand, nothing could touch me.

Things turned around for me from that day. And things are still going well. Sure, I’m still faced with struggles, and mountains, and things to worry about. But I just choose to give them over to God, and not spend a single minute fretting over it, because he seems to enjoy taking care of it for me!

So let me encourage you and challenge you to give everything over to God, and let him put together the puzzle of your life from the box of broken pieces. He’s a master at it, he did, after all, create the puzzle.

Be blessed.

The Kid