There is just one cure for care, and that is faith-faith in God. Faith may be weak or strong; the stronger the faith, the less the care. But we have to be sure what we mean by care -what Paul meant when he wrote, " Be careful for nothing." Not many would mistake the meaning here, but another meaning may be attached to the expression than the Holy Spirit intended. Most authorities use "anxious" in place of careful, as it is a better word to express the meaning of the original.
It would be entirely contrary to God's mind to say to a mother, Take no care of your child, or to a husbandman, Take no care of your fields. The word means over-anxious, distracted, but its primary meaning is "dividing the mind." It is the word used by Christ in Matt. 6 :25-34, translated "thought." Martha was "careful and troubled about many things" (Luke 10:41). It is the word used for "care" and "cares" in Matt. 13:22; Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14; 21:34; i Pet. 5:7. By looking up the use of the word in these places, we learn the evil and danger of anxiety and distraction.
The right kind of care is expressed by another word used in Mark 4 :38 ; 12:14 ; Luke 10 :40; John 10:13; 12:6. Both words are used in i Peter 5:7. We are to cast all our anxiety upon Him ; that is, the over-anxious care, for He cares for us with a right and constant care.
In a world filled with sin and ruled by Satan, there is very much to make God's people anxious, and they need His grace to keep them from this danger-from anxiety. The path of escape from anxiety is shown in our text, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." This means faith-the realizing of God's care for us, in some measure. It means knowing God, believing Him, trusting Him. It is a wonderful Scripture, and what blessing it opens up to faith.
God tells us to have no anxiety, no distraction, no worry. When things take place which move us to worry and anxious care, we are to take them to God. What a privilege, when we have a request about anything whatever, that we can make it known to Him! It may be something in the home, the family, the children; or it may be in our business, our work, our means of support. It may be our personal needs, our bodies, our health; or it may be our neighbors, our associates, our companions. It may be concern in our hearts for those far away from us, in whom we are interested. For everything in which we have enough interest to desire anything, we can go to God with our desires. We can put those desires into requests, and bring them to God.
Now this means walking with God, having Him before us. He tells us to do this; so it is a most important part of our lives. How great the difference between a child of God who thus goes to Him with every request, and one who carries his own burdens-who is anxious and worried! Our God cares for us, and tells us of this care in His Word. It is a very great blessing to a soul to know this care and to realize it, so as to take our anxious thoughts and feelings to Him. And when He says, "Be anxious for nothing," and we are anxious and distracted about something, we lose very much. Should we not by all means go right to Him with our anxieties, and follow His Word? Prayer and supplication with thanksgiving means having to do with God in the closest way-coming right to Him, opening our hearts, baring them before Him. Worry and distraction take the mind and heart away from God; but prayer and supplication with thanksgiving bring us into His presence where all is light, and in this light His peace is found.
This peace comes, in part at least, from our consciousness that God acts for us, as well as takes interest in us. We see this everywhere in Scripture. He is watching over, and acting for, or dealing with, persons and nations ; sometimes in direct blessing, sometimes in chastening, sometimes in judgment. Has He left this world now? Or does He still act, and guide, and restrain men and nations?
Take the short book of Jonah; see how it reveals God's ways both with men and nations. The Lord prepared a great fish; the Lord God prepared a gourd; God prepared a worm; God prepared a vehement east wind. How He is revealed in all this. It is such a mercy to see Him acting in behalf of His people. It is a greater mercy to be assured that He will act for us. He can bring such wonderful things about in such simple ways. We are to tell Him what we need and desire, and what troubles us, and our hearts and minds are set free from the burden of anxious care. If we really believe that God cares for us, and know His power and love, it will be easy to cast our care on Him.
There are two kinds of care:anxious care, and the care which God would have His people exercise over that which is in their hands. We are, as we have seen, to cast all our anxiety-anxious cares, upon Him. We know that it is easy to get anxious about things which God would have us care for. This often comes from our not being willing for God to have His way with us. We want our way, and worry when we cannot have it. But God's way is the only good way, the way of love; and casting our care on Him means giving up our own will, in the assurance that God's way is good.
The farmer plants his fields, the merchant stocks his store, the factory owner buys raw material and hires help. These men have care; they look to God if they are men of faith; they acknowledge Him in all their ways, and He directs their paths.
When they go on well, they are taking care of what is in their hands, and there are always daily cares to cast on God. But the cares of this life may begin to choke the Word. Droughts, panics, and troubles may come. These bring anxiety. What need at such times to cast all care on Him; then peace comes when the care is really cast on God. If there are losses, His grace makes them, as all else, work for good. It is a most wonderful thing that in this world where there is so much to cause care, we can be really care-free, while taking care of what God has put into our hands. It is a miracle of grace, one of the wonders of God's love. J. W. Newton