Cast Your Cares on the Lord

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?”

Matthew 6:25 NIV

I loved playing cash pot. I wasn’t a chronic gambler, but I enjoyed playing the game once or twice a week just for fun. Even though once, during a financial crisis, I spent hundreds of dollars trying to win. I never did of course.

Then one day, as I strolled past a popular lotto booth, I contemplated walking in to try my luck. But something stopped me from doing so. I heard this voice say, “Lisa, it’s time to stop. It’s time to start living a simple life.” I’ve never stepped into a lotto booth since. That was four years ago.

I cashed in all my insurance policies except for one. I closed off a few investment accounts I felt I didn’t need anymore and kept those that would benefit my children rather than me.

Something incredible happened after that. Apart from saving money, money came in from unexpected sources. After many failed attempts at budgeting, I finally learned to budget. I no longer crave material things but am now content with what I have.

I love reading and studying so I spend most of my money on books that help me grow spiritually and on bible study courses. For entertainment, I buy fiction books. And I purchase courses that help me hone my writing.

Jesus commands us in Matthew 6:25 not to worry about our life because life is more than food and clothes. Of course, life now is more than just food and clothes. We worry about our children’s education, housing, careers, vehicles, vacations, and much more. But the principle is still the same. Our life is much more than all these things.

However, all these things are legitimate. We must educate our children. We must have somewhere to live and a job to pay for them. But what we must not do is worry.

How not to Worry

So how do you go about not worrying? How do we curb worry and anxiety?

Well, we find one answer in Psalm 55:22:

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you.

We see this instruction again in I Peter 5:7.

But more precisely, we must do what Hebrews 13:5 says:

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have.

In my life, I’ve witnessed what being satisfied with what you have does. It opens the door for the Lord to give you more.

Once we focus on making money to acquire material things, it takes away from the most important thing of all – serving God.

Focusing too much on the world and what it offers stunts our spiritual growth, as explained in Luke 8:14.

“The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.”

Luke 8:14

And that’s when worry strikes.

So, to not worry we should do three important things:

1. Cast your cares on the Lord
2. Don’t love money, and
3. Be content with what you have.

Read these 7 Scriptures on Contentment.

Reflect and Respond

What is one thing you can do today to help you to stop worrying?

Prayer

Lord, I thank you for all your many blessings. Please help me not to worry and be content with all I have. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Feature image by Klause Nielsen on Pexels