Casting your care: how?

arapahoepark

Puritan Board Professor
So, I hope this thread helps others as well but, I am wondering how does one, apart from distractions, healthy or otherwise, how does one 'cast their cares' and 'be anxious for nothing'? When your mind suddenly jumps to worst case scenario what are the practical steps? It seems as though everything regarding worry is easier said than done.
 
Ok, I jest with that. ("let go and let God" is spiritual sounding Keswickian nonsense)... But yeah, I get it: We're told do something - "cast our cares on Christ" so how do we do that?

My counsel: It is amazing how frequently I find myself attempting to put on a good face in my prayer life - being careful to say the "theologically correct" words, etc. But then I catch myself and I will just be honest: "Father, I'm scared and I don't know what to do...." or maybe "Father, I am so angry right now and I can hardly even think straight I'm so ticked... help me...." and I just lay it all out.

But then - this is where faith (TRUST) is involved - I arise and go forth confident I've been heard by the one who loves me and is working his perfect plan for me.

There's also talking back to myself - "Ben, knock it off. Quit fretting like a heathen. Act like a Christian." Yes, I do talk like that to myself.

I think that's what it means. But I'm open to correction on that!
 
Understand that in those worst case scenarios, the Lord would still be present. We have to understand as a Christian, God has not promised us a "good life." In fact, many of his most blessed saints lived the most harsh lives. Your ever present prayer should be to desire to be conformed into the image of the Son. Regardless of where that road leads. A man plans his ways, but God directs his steps. It is hard for me to personally grasp the tragedy of "losing everything" because much of my early childhood and young adulthood was so traumatic, that if I were homeless and barefoot, with just a Bible and a bottle of water; it would not be somewhere I hadn't been before. This allows me to see (though not perfectly) all the tremendous blessings God bestows upon me each day. But this is with the understanding that "the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away." When we start to look too much introspectively, at the cost of understanding that we are "not our own," we can tend to fret over things that if we take a closer look, might be leaning a bit selfishly in comparison to the bigger picture that we are presently tools at Gods disposal to do as he sees fit. Will your suffering bring him glory? Possibly. Will your prosperity bring him glory? Possibly. But let us be willing to traverse which ever road that glorifies God, as our glory and chief goal.

With this being said, there is no place that God can take you, that God cannot bring you back from. This is the faith of Abraham, and this is the witness of Job. Do not forgo wisdom in your daily dealings, but also do not put on yourself the weight of fate that God is only fit to bear. Trust in God, even if he slay you; for if we truly believe that we are eternal, very little here should trouble us to the point of unhealthy anxiety. For whether we lose or gain, succeed or fail, live or die, for the beloved, we are safely secure in the hands of our Father.

We all struggle with this, but if we consider all the evidences of Gods existence in our lives; how can we think that we are not on his mind?
 
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So, I hope this thread helps others as well but, I am wondering how does one, apart from distractions, healthy or otherwise, how does one 'cast their cares' and 'be anxious for nothing'? When your mind suddenly jumps to worst case scenario what are the practical steps? It seems as though everything regarding worry is easier said than done.

Remember what we have talked about. Although it may be slow, try always to confess the truth and pray that your inner man will learn by faith that what Peter wrote is the truth. In due time, your inner feelings, still tainted by sin and unbelief, will come around to more than believing this truth but feeling it profoundly and confidently that this is the truth. Never give up. Remember, God loves desperate men.

1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Casting all your care upon Him; for he careth for you.

EDIT: Following are several other "due time" verses to think about:

Psalm 145:15​
The eyes of all wait upon thee, And thou givest them their meat in due season.
1 Samuel 1:20​
Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bear a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.
Psalm 104:27​
These wait all upon thee; That thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
Titus 1:3 (KJV)​
but hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
 
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It's hard because we live in a world of untrustworthy people and as you get older, you have been disappointed by untrustworthy people. How can you practically trust the One who is truly trustworthy? You practice giving Him your cares and trusting Him, actively fighting the war against man within that refuses to trust Him.

This battle is easier to see with children. My children have no reason to distrust me: I provide for their every need (in a human sense) and give them my love and attention. So in many cases, when I say I'll do something, they do not fight me and in fact remind me that we'll be doing it — Saturday pancakes or Sunday church, for example. But there are times when I do see my children act impatiently because a percieved need is not getting addressed on their timeline (kids are honest). When that happens, I'll likely chastise them by asking "when have I not given you what you need?" This occasionally hits a chord, and they calm down enough so that my wife and I can redirect their focus on something more productive than focusing on the (to-be-fulfilled) need.

To apply this to our lives:
  1. Tell God honestly what we need or want. He knows what we need, but yet relationship deepens when we express what we need to Him.
  2. Remind ourselves through His Word that God indeed cares for us.
  3. Do something more productive: take an action related to that concern or, if there is nothing that you can do directly, do something else to take your focus off that concern while you wait for God to fulfill His providential will.
  4. Repeat 1-3 until the concern is addressed.
I do not do this well, so this is as much for me as for you.
 
Memorize Romans 8, tattoo it on your abdomen, paint it on your fridge, sticky note it on your steering wheel, sing it to your wife, eat it with your cheerios, as it were!! :) That is to say, make it your best friend. And maybe memorize HC LD 1 with it.
 
Our pastor always refers to Philippians 4:
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, 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. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
He breaks it up into three aspects:
  1. Pray rightly - instead of going along with your tumbling thoughts, pray: thank God and bring your petitions before Him. This leads to the peace of God; you won't understand why you feel peaceful, because the circumstances still look the same, but that's because His peace surpasses understanding.
  2. Think rightly - instead of all of the bad things, focus your mind on the good and godly
  3. Do rightly - practice what you have learnt from God's word; altogether, God gives us more than just peace; He gives us Himself
All three of these things are within our control; circumstances aren't. We should do our part, as summarized by these three points.
 
Also, sing the hymn "How Firm a Foundation" to yourself:

How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He has said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"Fear not! I am with you, O be not dismayed;
For I am your God, and will still give you aid.
I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call you to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with you in troubles to bless,
And sanctify to you your deepest distress.

When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be your supply.
The flame shall not hurt you, I only design
Your dross to consume and your gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to his foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake."
Note the five negatives in the last line: 1) never, 2) no 3) never, 4) no 5) never.

This is from Heb 13:5. As Matthew Henry says:
God hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, v. 5, 6. This was said to Joshua (ch. 1:5), but belongs to all the faithful servants of God. Old-Testament promises may be applied to New-Testament saints. This promise contains the sum and substance of all the promises. I will never, no, never leave thee, nor ever forsake thee. Here are no fewer than five negatives heaped together, to confirm the promise; the true believer shall have the gracious presence of God with him in life, at death, and for ever.
 
A wise pastor once pointed out to me that Philippians 4:6 gives us two options in life: we can be anxious, or we can pray. It's taken me years to really apply that observation, and to learn from experience that prayer does calm anxiety. For me, praying the psalms seems especially helpful.

But the desire to pray is opposed by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Maintaining a habit of prayer is harder than maintaining something like a diet or a workout regimen. Be aware of that, and approach it knowing you will need the Spirit's help in prayer and might always struggle to pray.
 
how does one 'cast their cares' and 'be anxious for nothing'?
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

Dear Trent, praise the LORD that the scriptures give us clear guidance on this! We are to simply make our requests (in regard to whatever we're anxious about) known to God! But then, of course, we will say: "But the anxiety returns". In response to this, an old and wise British brother, Stewart Olliott has given the council to, when the fears rise again, lay it on the LORD, and to keep doing this with all your fears until, one by one, they cease.

As with so much of the Christian life, we find our aid before the throne of grace!
 
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