It's amazing when you really invest your time and life in a place how much you begin to see the great needs of people. Of course we are always bombarded and tempted to occupation with our own needs, but when you step outside your own little world for a minute, you realize the multitude of needs in others' lives. I was brought back to thinking about what Peter mentioned in I Peter 5:6-7 about humility and casting our cares upon the one who careth for us. The word used for 'cares' is very interesting to me. It means something that distracts and divides so that you cannot have oneness with God's mind in your thinking. These people Peter was speaking to, like us, were going through the fiery trials of their faith. In these trials they had an option: feed on the life of God or feed on your cares and allow them to distract and divide your mind. If we let our cares linger they will entangle us in a web of anxiety and stress. However, it's not only our cares that can entangle us. Many times as we identify and minister to people in the Body, we find ourselves carrying a heavy load upon our back: the cares of others. Is this how it should be? Am I here to bear these burdens alone? What is the solution for these things? Cast them. Immediately remove them from yourself and throw them upon God. Don't think about them, be occupied with them, or continue to allow them to entangle you. Cast them. This happens at the cross. That's why Peter leads into this principle by talking about humility; because this is an action that can only happen when I have surrendered all self-effort and self-occupation. I say, "I am not sufficient for these things", and I rifle them on the Father, leaving only the burden to pray, love, and encourage. What a light burden that is! What a joy it is to share that burden with Christ! Not entangled but free to serve, free to give, and free to bring people's needs before the loving Father who has all power to deal with the needs of His Body and the needs of His creation. We can rest in that.
Pray for us here in Finland. Pray for real revival among the young people.
The next few weeks I will be traveling to Berlin, Istanbul, Cyprus, and Baltimore, so keep those trips in prayer.
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