It was about 11 years ago, the first week in December, that I found myself in the emergency room at Henrico Doctors Hospital. I had driven to work that morning and was not feeling very well but there was so much that I needed to do and I simply had to push through it resting or taking a day off was not an option. I remember my heart was beating so fast, the palms of my hands were sweating. I felt dizzy and knew that something was very wrong with me. Not saying a word to anyone at work I drove myself to the ER a few blocks away from my office. I walked in the door and said……I need help. I think I am having a heart attack…
This was a time in my life that from the outside I looked very successful. I was making a lot of money. We had a waterfront house in Chesterfield. We had a vacation home at the Beach in North Carolina. I had very nice, Saab 9-5 sport wagon and Beverly had a big Ford Expedition. I also was part owner of a airplane which I never had time to fly. Never the less I had reached the American dream but it was killing me.
After several hours of test the doctors determined I did not have a heart attack but I was having a panic attack. The pressure of the expectations of Christmas on top of everything else I was doing pushed me over the edge into so much anxiety that my physical body responded with the alarm bells that said, stop, slow down!
This morning as I was sleeping all throughout the night I kept hearing this scripture verse coming over and over again into my spirit:
1 Peter 5:7
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Throughout the night I kept hearing this verse over and over again. As I was floating in and out of sleep I began to one by one give all my cares and the things that I feel responsible for that are pressuring me over to the Lord.
Before we go any further this morning I want to talk a little bit about this word “Care”
Greek Words Related to “Care”
|
Greek Word |
Meaning |
English Derivatives |
|---|---|---|
|
μέριμνα (merimna) |
anxiety, worry, concern |
“be not anxious…” (Biblical Greek usage) |
The English word care comes from an ancient Germanic root meaning “sorrow or concern,” while Latin cura and Greek words like merimna and therapeia reflect parallel ideas of care as attention, love, and service—but they are not the direct ancestors of the English word.
Shift in Meaning Over Time
Over centuries, the meaning broadened.
Originally:
sorrow, concern, worry
Evolved into:
attention, caution, guardianship
providing for someone’s needs
love expressed through responsibility
This shift reflects moving from feeling troubled about something → paying attention to something because it matters.
***I want you to see this morning that this word Care is a very powerful word. This word for care has both a emotional and physical response. When we take a step back and look at History we will see that God used human’s capacity to care to accomplish some incredible advancements in human development.
Here are three recent examples of people who cared, individually or as groups making a difference
1. Florence Nightingale (1820–1910)
Cared about: the dignity, safety, and health of wounded soldiers
Impact: founded modern nursing and transformed global healthcare
Why she mattered:
Florence Nightingale went to the Crimean War not for glory but because she cared deeply about human suffering. Seeing horrific unsanitary conditions, she fought military bureaucracy and revolutionized medical hygiene.
2. The Underground Railroad (1800s)
Cared about: freedom, human dignity, liberation from oppression
Impact: helped over 100,000 enslaved people escape to freedom
Why it mattered:
This decentralized network was powered by people—Black and white—who risked their lives simply because they could not accept injustice. Their care outweighed their fear.
3. The Green Revolution (1940s–1970s)
Led by: Dr. Norman Borlaug and international agricultural teams
Cared about: global hunger and food insecurity
Impact: saved an estimated 1 billion lives
Why it mattered:
Borlaug and his collaborators developed high-yield, disease-resistant crops and modern farming techniques. Their work was motivated by a simple conviction: people should not starve when solutions are possible.
***When we look at these examples of people who cared and made a difference it is very much in line with what Paul tells us about Love or Charity it 1 Corinthians 13. So, if to care is good, then what is the problem and why would we need to “Cast” our “Cares” on him?
***The 1st point of the Message today: God created you with the capacity care deeply.
Lets go back for a minute to our key verse in 1 Peter chapter 5 and lets review in context:
1 Peter 5
1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
***In these first four verses Peter is giving leadership instruction to the elders in the church. It is important that they remember why they are serving God in this capacity and to lead by example and with love and grace. Elders should always remember they chief Shepherd is Jesus and the sheep (people) belong to him.**
**Point #2 of the message today: You belong to Jesus the chief shepherd and he cares about you.
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
***Let’s pause here for a minute and really dig into verses 5,6,7. There are some deep spiritual truths here we do not want to miss
Verse 5 introduces the concept of humility that comes submission and operating under spiritual authority. Peter is one who had to learn this principle under Jesus’ leadership because he was a very independent person. Peter explains that God resist the people who are proud, or in this case so confident of their calling, anointing and ability that they do not submit to leadership and would never be subject one to another.
Peter actually speaks more about this in his second letter:
2 Peter 1:10-11
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
**Back to 1 Peter 5:5-7
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
***Point #3 of the message today: God give grace to the humble but he resist the proud.
**So far the points of this message are pretty fundamental and self-explanatory but I see a deeper truth that may be overlooked when we read verses 6-7. You see the attitude of pride that does not submit to authority and one another will feed into a place of isolation that makes these statements:
- I am the only one who cares about this.
- I am the only one who can do it correctly. Some else will just mess it up.
- I do not have time to teach someone else how to do it.
- My boss does not know what I do and could never do it.
***Point #4 of the message: If you find yourself always feeling overwhelmed in life, work or ministry it could be because of your pride and failure to submit to leadership.
**My friends God is going to bring freedom to someone today, including me. It was few weeks ago that I was sharing about the prophet Elijah that called fire down from heaven and then ran from Jezabel and hid in a cave.
Elijah said, "I am the only one left," in two different instances in the Bible, reflecting both a public challenge and a moment of personal despair. First, he said it to the people of Israel before confronting the prophets of Baal, stating he was the only prophet of the LORD remaining in the land. Then to God when he was hiding in the cave from Jezabel.
God's response: God reassured Elijah by showing him that he was not alone and that there were 7,000 others who had not bowed to Baal.
*** So I want you to see this relationship between Pride and not casting your care on Jesus.
Point #5 it is the sin of pride that prevents us from casting our care on Jesus.
This word here in 1 Peter 5:7 for Care is the Greek words “Mer-in-a” and “Mer-in-a-to”. I want you to see some other places in God’s word it is used and you will begin to see the truth and freedom that God has for us when we cast our care on him:
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Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought G3309 for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
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Which of you by taking thought G3309 can add one cubit unto his stature?
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And why take ye thought G3309 for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
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Therefore take no thought, G3309 saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
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Take G3309 therefore no thought G3309 for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought G3309 for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Be careful G3309 for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
This word for “cares” is used by Jeus in the parable of the sower. Lets look this story in Lukes gospel.
Luke 8:5-15
King James Version
5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
***The 1st point of the Message today: God created you with the capacity care deeply.
**Point #2 of the message today: You belong to Jesus the chief shepherd and he cares about you.
***Point #3 of the message today: God give grace to the humble but he resist the proud.
***Point #4 of the message: If you find yourself always feeling overwhelmed in life, work or ministry it could be because of your pride and failure to submit to leadership.
Point #5 it is the sin of pride that prevents us from casting our care on Jesus.
*** In Closing lets look at the 1 Peter 5:8-11. There is a balance to casting our care on Jesus and living a life of complacency without purpose or passion. When we are under authority and living a life of humility we should not become passive but focused and passionate.
Continue reading 1 Peter 5:8-11
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
**Just like God said to Elijah, you are not alone.
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
***Point #6 of the message: Passion, purpose and vigilance for God is the position of a believer living a life of submission and humility.