Holy Oddballs Walk Free of All Cares (What a Concept!)
Little by little, I’m working my way through the first letter Peter wrote to elect exiles, sanctified sojourners, peculiar people….holy oddballs.
I’ve reached this passage in chapter 5…
God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith (5:5b-9a)…
Thus far, we’ve established this world is not the home of Jesus-followers.
We’ve confirmed our identity in Christ.
We’ve celebrated both; and, noted, because of these truths, we’ll endure suffering.
In spite of the suffering, we’ve got a job to do while we’re still here on earth:
to submit to the Lord in every area of our lives, to serve others as His hands and feet, and to shepherd God’s flock.
Now Peter offers a statement that feels a little bit like an invitation, but also a quiet rebellion:
Cast your cares on Him, because He cares for you…
Do you see how upside down this is (which makes it perfect for Holy Oddballs)?
Everything the world tells us is just the opposite:
Carry your cares.
Manage them.
Control them.
Figure them out.
Fret over them.
Curate them into something impressive.
Or, more often than not, hide them well! Stuff them waaaaaaay deep down.
Stuffing them will quickly turn to discouragement, which leads to depression, which leads to despair, which leads to….well, the worst possible scenario.
So, Peter proclaims to us all, “No! That’s not what Holy Oddballs do with their worries. They throw them onto SOMEONE else (Jesus)!”
They get rid of them like a hot potato.
Instead of shoving them down inside our souls, we cast them upward – to a God who literally wants to carry the weight of our worries.
Peter never says deny them, just admit them, and give them away for the Lord God to deal with in His timing.
There is a pre-requisite, however.
It’s the line that comes before:
“Humble yourself under God’s mighty hand.”
It’s not a random phrase shoved in among a lot of words.
Before we can cast, we have to admit something we don’t like confessing, “I can’t carry this thing well.”
But, humility is the door way to letting go. It loosens our grip. It brings peace to our troubled spirits.
And, the Lord says in return, “You were never meant to carry this thing.”
Casting sounds a bit dramatic (especially to someone – me – who is having shoulder pain 🤔).
Yet there’s an assurance that comes with casting – SOMEONE BIGGER THAN MY PROBLEMS is actually on the receiving end, catching, carrying, working all things out for good!
Someone who cares for us!
He’s not distant.
He never slumbers, never sleeps.
He’s personally, intentionally, constantly watching out for us.
So here we are – holy oddballs, once more.
We live in the same pressure filled world as everyone else.
Yet, we make a choice not to carry our problems the same way.
We’ll stay alert and clear minded – cause that sneaky enemy of our souls would love to use our worries and fears to defeat us.
We’ll walk humbly before our God; and, we’ll lessen our load through casting, allowing us to walk freely.
Just like the peculiar people Peter always knew we were meant to be.
