June Hunt on Worry: “Don’t Worry—Cast Your Cares on Christ”

January 2016

When I was 11 years old, my uncle invited me to visit him—by myself! His name was Charlie Lake, and I loved spending time with him, not just because he married my Aunt Swann (making her Swann Lake) but because he paid attention to me. He cared for me. Specifically, Uncle Charlie wanted to take me fishing.

Now I had been fishing before—using a cane pole, and hotdogs for bait. Although I had never before caught anything, my Uncle Charlie could really catch fish!

I excitedly boarded a bus for my three-hour trek from Dallas to Shreveport, and when I arrived Uncle Charlie had a rod and reel waiting for me. The next morning, Uncle Charlie woke me up before daybreak and we headed for Lake O’ the Pines.

Learning to fish…

The first lesson Uncle Charlie taught me was casting—how to cast the line into the lake so the weighted lure would land precisely where the fish would most likely feed.

The first time I cast my line, it landed only three feet from the boat. Immediately, Uncle Charlie exclaimed, “Make an arc!” Then he showed me how to cast with an arc so that the lure would land farther and farther out. He also taught me the importance of slowly reeling in the line.

It took patient repetition—casting and arcing again and again—so that I could grasp the importance of casting. Soon I learned to cast toward tree roots and stumps where fish love to feed. And when I did, oh did we catch fish!

Life Application

Notice, the Bible says, “… casting all your care [your worries] upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NKJV) That’s what we are designed to do—to cast our cares—not reel in our worries, not keep our cares close. We should neither draw them to us, nor dump them on someone else—but rather, cast our cares on the Lord.

A fishing line needs a small, lead weight for the lure to sink beneath the surface. In life, your weights and worries can seem too heavy to bear, but the Lord knows exactly how heavy they are—and He asks you to “cast all your cares on Him.”

Jesus literally says, “Do not worry about your life” (Luke 12:22), meaning don’t fret, don’t stew, don’t obsess about anything in your life.

Not anything? Is that really possible? Some may ask, “Isn’t worry as natural as breathing?”

Let’s look at a godly perspective on worry.

Jesus asks two profound, yet rhetorical questions: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:25–26). The answer is obvious.

The Bible says in Psalm 55:22, “Cast your cares on the Lord.”  Entrust your life to Christ. Completely commit your concerns to Him.

1. Acknowledge what you worry about.
   Make a “Worry List” of people and situations that continually weigh you down.
2. Turn your Worry List into your Prayer List.
   Present each worry on your list to God. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

Pray, “Lord, I know You are fully aware of my situation regarding (  describe it  ). I am feeling (  name emotions  ). I want Your will in my life and in the lives of everyone involved. Thank you for already having a plan. I trust You to reveal Your will in Your way. I’m relying on You to direct my steps and to guard my heart. I won’t worry about this anymore, but will leave it with You.” “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

3. Apply Philippians 4:8
   …to whatever you worry about. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). Ask yourself, “Are my thoughts true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy?” Challenge yourself to dwell on those things.

Focus on God’s faithfulness. Realize that He has been your stronghold in the past, is your security in the present, and will be your sufficiency in the future.

Let your faithful Lord replace your fears and worries with unfaltering faith. Cast all your cares on Him because He personally cares for you.

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22)

Yours in the Lord’s hope,

June Hunt

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