Casting Cares part 1
Sometimes I think about growing my hair back out, just so I can say, "Long hair, don't care." I know I've mentioned that I have two lists in my life: A list of things that are important that includes God and people, and a list of things that aren't important that includes just about everything else. I honestly just don't have the time, or energy, to get involved in a lot of "stuff" that people seem to get involved in. And it's really not that I don't care about anything. It's really just that I'm selective about how I manage my 3 T's. My time, talent, and treasure. I'm selective about what I choose to read--what I put into my mind--and I'm selective about what I choose to deal with. Basically, I "try" as hard as I can to set my affection on things above, not on things on the earth. I try to, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your cares upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:6-7). Long hair, don't care. Let go, and let God. I don't have to fight every battle when I know that Jesus fought (and won) the war to end all wars on the cross (see Zechariah chapter 9 in the Message Bible). The ONLY fight we need to be fighting--where we need to put our 3 T's--is the good fight of faith. Laying hold of eternal life. And eternal life is the gift of God, right? So we're not GRABBING hold of it. We're not trying to GET it. We're LAYING hold of it. From a posture of rest. We're RECEIVING the gift that we've already been given. Receiving it and releasing it. But this is where it can get kind of tricky. Because eternal life is believing in the Father and the One whom the Father sent. Eternal life is living in the context of Sonship. Living Jesus' eternal, everlasting, abundant, Resurrection Life by letting HIM live His own life in, and through, and as us. And that means loving people. So, like I said, God and people are on my list of things that are important. But the trick comes in "loving people" without getting caught up in all the other "stuff." Humbling yourself, which doesn't mean thinking less of yourself, but simply means thinking of yourself less. Letting God take care of whatever needs taking care of. Doing what you gotta do, but doing it from that posture of rest. Casting our cares on Him--and I don't think that means whining and crying to God all the time (I believe He hears us when we whine and cry, but I believe He's happy when we have that attitude of gratitude). I think casting our cares on Him simply means trusting Him to take care of us. Instead of running around like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to do everything for everybody, I think we just need to be still and know that He is God. Just do what you can do, with what you have, where you're at. One of Logan's favorite cartoons, Paw Patrol, has a puppy who always says, "Do your best, and forget the rest!" And to me, THAT'S what casting your cares on Him is all about. Not that you don't care about anything. (Really, I DO care.) But simply that you understand that you can't do EVERYTHING. And do you know what you get if you work your fingers to the bone? Bony fingers. We're going to keep looking at this for a few days, but I don't think we're supposed to wear ourselves our trying to do everything. Or fix everything. I don't think we're supposed to find darkness to fight. I think we're supposed to be lighthouses and just shine wherever we are!