I want to start off by telling you that, almost more than anything, I wanted to be a “man.” I wanted to command respect, to take on responsibility and to get things done. I wanted the respect of others and to be filled with the pride and satisfaction of a job well done and a disciplined, beautiful family. This desire drove me to the point of spiritual, emotional and physical exhaustion. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about in the areas of fear, worry, pride, strife, and care. It caused me to want to take my life, many times over…I now know that was satan’s intention.
As I’ve stated many times before, I was raised in a religious environment. My father was the president of a well-known Christian ministry and many of my relatives were pastors or employed in Christian work. My father ended up having an emotional breakdown because he worried a lot and never learned how to cast his cares on the Lord even though many tried to help him get free in Jesus.
While growing up in a very large and proud Baptist church in the Southern California area, I was told not to drink alcohol, not to use cuss words, not to smoke, not to hang out with the wrong crowd, etc. Now those things (except pride) were all good for me, but what I didn’t realize until later in my life is that, by their actions, most Christian leaders taught us to worry, to take on care, to strive, and to stress out until others felt sorry for us. I often heard the words, “He’s such a hard worker” about those who were so heavily burdened with care.
We weren’t encouraged to cast all our cares on the Lord even though we were taught the verses that clearly stated to do so. We were taught to memorize the Word, but applying it was another thing altogether – I wonder if this is why so many leave the church after a while. We’re not transferring our cares to Jesus. Even our pastors often looked weighed down with care and responsibility. At times, it could make me wonder if Christians were really any better off than the unsaved.
I worked with a lady in an accounting department while living in the Tulsa, OK area. Whenever she sensed I was taking on too much work and becoming too stressed out about it, from behind her cubicle wall, Amy would say, “Hey Mark, how much does it weigh?” She meant, how much does the world weigh today? Her comment was always followed by a contagious laugh.
This was Amy’s way (God was enabling her to help me) of getting me to lighten up and to let go of the weight of work – I learned that letting go actually made my work more pleasant and easy to manage. Amy was a real God send and often said things to remind me that God wanted me to always be casting all my cares on Him.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me (Jesus), because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He (God) has sent Me (Jesus) to proclaim deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:18-19
Folks, it took me a really l—o—n—g time to discover that the gospel is good news, that it’s not some heavy, religious thing. As the above scripture proclaims, Jesus came to set an example for us. He came to set us free, to show us how to get back to the joyous life Adam and Eve lived in the Garden before the fall. I believe this is why the Holy Spirit keeps speaking to my heart about Heaven and to keep looking up. To me, it’s as if He’s saying, “Don’t let yourself get bogged down with earthly circumstances. Cast all your cares on Me. I want you to be a joy-filled man who will reflect my love and redemption to those who are captive to anxiety, depression, strife, the cares of this world, etc.”
I (Mark) love each of you and just want to help us all to keep our eyes on the prize that is set before us.
The Bible says it’s going to be difficult to be a Christian during the end times. I can think of two reasons for this. First, lawlessness will abound making men’s hearts grow cold (Matthew 24:12), to grow more selfish and arrogant, and to, thereby, lose love for our fellow man\lady.
But, I also think that we can become so bound (so horizontally focused instead of vertically focused by keeping our minds on Heaven’s joy) by what’s happening on earth that we’ll lose our joy, our focus, our purpose which is to live for Jesus and to help others with the joy of the Lord He’s shown us we can have if we’ll simply keep looking up by remembering that He’s working all things for our good, by praising Him in all things, by taking care-filled thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ and by letting the peace that passes understanding fill our souls, hearts and minds.
Cast all your cares on Him, and teach others to do the same. You’ll save yourself and others much misery.
Casting all your care upon him (Jesus); for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7
to proclaim deliverance to the captives – those (Like I was captive for too long) captive to care, worry, anxiety, depression, other lies of the enemy of our souls, you name it.
Come unto me (Jesus), all ye that labour and are heavy laden (anyone labouring under and laden with fear, worry, anxiety, depressive thoughts, strife, circumstances, trying to always understand…), and I will give you rest (Jesus can and will remove all those things from us). Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30
Be freed from all care, precious ones…Leave all your cares at the foot of Jesus’ cross, and help others to do the same.
After all, that’s the Gospel (Jesus), and it really is GOOD NEWS!
God bless,
Mark