WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CAST ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM ?
By Shaphan Jezreel Louie
First Peter 5:7, addressing humble believers, conveys a profound truth: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (CSB). This completes a thought started in the previous verses: “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:5–6). We are instructed to humble ourselves considering who God is. He is God, and we are not. We trust that God will take care of us. Humbling ourselves includes “casting all your cares upon Him.”
Humans often overestimate their abilities and underestimate their limitations. Yet, the humble acknowledge that they are not God. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and capable of handling all our concerns. As humble individuals, we can entrust all our worries to Him because we know He cares for us. To “cast” means to “throw,” stemming from the same Greek word used to describe how people threw their coats on the colt before Jesus rode it into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Luke 19:35). We should not cling to our worries but rather cast them onto our Father God, who cares for us. He can bear our burdens.
“Cares” refers to worldly worries, difficulties, needs, and anxieties. The NLT advises us to “give all your worries and cares to God,” and the NIV tells us to “cast all your anxiety on him.” Everything that troubles us or weighs us down should be surrendered to God, who deeply cares for us. These verses don’t guarantee that God will eliminate the source of our anxiety—though He certainly can and has (see Isaiah 37:36 and Mark 4:39). Instead, the assurance lies in knowing that He cares for us, allowing us to cast our cares on Him. We trust that God is capable and willing to handle our concerns in the best way. Romans 8:28 assures us that God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. We believe that God can manage our cares.
Jesus also invites us to cast our burdens on Him: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). Jesus urges us to approach Him and unload our burdens onto Him. When we do so, the promise is that we will find rest for our souls. This assurance is based on His character. We can bring any concerns to Him in prayer, and although the burden may persist, our souls will find rest as we rely on Him to help us carry it and sustain us through the trial.
Peter’s call to humble ourselves and cast all our cares on the Lord is a command, not merely a suggestion. We are commanded to trust in the Lord rather than in ourselves (Proverbs 3:5) and to be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6). God desires us not to be burdened by life’s difficulties and worries. Instead, He cares for us and promises rest for all who come to Him. If you trust that God is in control and able to manage your concerns, regularly entrust them to Him in prayer and live in the rest He provides us.