"I love you"... ? Well, those are three very important words, to be sure; but not the direct subject of today's dissertation (although, when talking about the Lord, we have to realize by now that 'Love' is never very far from center-stage). "Thy will be done"... ? Um, four words, but certainly no less crucial. "I am pregnant"... ? Uh-oh... but, no. The three very important words that each and every Christian must make a daily part of our thinking and lifestyle are... you ready? (drum roll)... "I don't care!"
"Are you kidding? That's why I'm irritated right now with my [husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, boss, mailman, pet iguana or whomever - you pick one and insert it here], because they don't care! You're saying it's alright for them to have that kind of attitude?!"No, I'm not saying that we - as family members and human beings - should not show loving and compassionate concern for each other. That isn't what I mean at all, and that's not the 'care' I'm talking about.
Let's take a quick look at the parable of the sower in Mark 4. Jesus lists 'cares' of this world as one type of thorn that grows up and chokes out God's Word from producing a crop. That 'care' is from the Greek word 'merimnao,' which means 'to be anxious about' or 'to take thought over' (Matthew 6:25, 28, 31, 34); and it carries a root connotation suggesting 'to the point of distraction.' In other words, to put it bluntly, it means 'to worry.'
Jesus Himself tells us to "take no thought" about what we have (or don't have) to eat or drink or wear, or how we're going to make the house or car payment next month, or about the cutbacks that are coming at work... or about anything else. Don't take those thoughts - don't receive them, don't just let them come in and hang around in your mind, bouncing from one lobe to the other. And, when Jesus (who is the Lord, by the way) tells us something like that, it's not realllly a suggestion; it's more like a command. Actually, it's exactly like a command. We, as Christians, are told - commanded - not to worry; don't engage in or entertain such thoughts at all.
How can we avoid such thoughts? That's easy; you can't. Let's take a moment to remember just what 'worried' thoughts are: they're simply Satan's way of whispering to you, trying to get you into fear and away from God's promises. It's therefore not so much a matter of "not ever having any 'worried' thoughts;" it's a matter of what we do with them if and when they come. Jesus said "don't take them" when they come - don't allow them to enter your mind and set up a base station there. You cast them out. Cast down those thoughts, imaginations, fear-filled words and everything else that shows up trying to exalt itself over what God says about your situation. You answer those thoughts - out loud - with counterpunches about Christ in you and God's love, grace and provision for you personally, in your situation right here and now! (John 17:23; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 4:19; Colossians 1:27)
Don't 'take' thoughts of worry, anxiety, destruction, lack, death or any other curse-borne crap lying down. Stand up against them, 'take' God's Word and begin beating the devil viciously about the head and shoulders with it. Then, when you're done, go the final step and cast all (and I did say all) of your cares, worries and anxieties over upon the Lord (1 Peter 5:7). Look, He's commanded us to do that. He's told us not to worry and given us the right not to have to. And, when we fully trust Him to handle all those things for us, the words "I don't care!" suddenly become music to our ears... and God's, too!
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