Daily Devotional – I’m Normal.™ I AM Ministries
“To promote Godly living in a culture committed to destroying it”
Monday, December 26, 2016
Casting Out Stress
How successful are you at casting out stress in your life? Does this process comes naturally to you or do you struggle to maintain a balanced life and a life dominated by peace? If you’re like most people, casting out stress is a major challenge. The day-to-day stresses of family, finances, jobs, relationships, and jam-packed schedules usually apply a force too overwhelming to counteract easily. As a result, our joy and peace often suffer.
Jesus tells us, “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 you souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). He tells us He will carry our troubles for us if we simply cast them upon Him. Given this gracious invitation, why do we have such trouble relaxing? Perhaps it lies in the casting part.
There are two ways you can cast something. Take a trip in your mind with me to a river bank for an illustration. First, imagine a fisherman casting his line, tossing out a lure and reeling it right back in. Second, picture his bored young son casting a stone into the river. The boy tosses the stone into the water and lets it go, never intending to retrieve it again.
Which of these describes how you typically cast your anxieties upon the LORD? Do you cast your burden on the LORD and reel it right back in, or do you cast it upon the LORD with no intention of ever retrieving it?
The Bible tells us we are to cast our stress upon the LORD and leave it there. We are not to draw it back in so it plagues us repeatedly. Once we cast our stress upon the LORD, He expects us to release it completely. He is strong enough to carry our burden and make our load very light. It’s not unlike catch-and-release fishing. On some rivers, when you cast your line and catch a fish, you must release your catch, never to see that same fish again. Thus it is with our stress. If you’re caught in stress, you need to release it and let it go permanently.
“Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you.” (Psalm 55:22). This is a promise God gave us through His servant David, even before Jesus offered to make our burden light. God knows that when you are stressing, you are worrying. This diverts your attention from Him, which is outside of His will (Matthew 6:25-27).
Peter gives us similar advice. “Cast all of your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” When you cast your troubles on Jesus, He will never give them back. Your troubles will disappear just as surely and just as permanently as if you cast a stone into the depths of the sea.
A life consumed by stress is not normal and is not the type of life God wishes for you to live. He tells us it is normal to cast our stress, anxiety, and troubles on Him and leave them there. You are not strong enough to hold up under all the stresses in your life. Only He is strong enough to bear those burdens.
You need to learn to cast whatever troubles you have upon the LORD and leave them there. You will have to remind yourself again and again that you have left the problem with the LORD and there is no reason to worry about it anymore. This approach may not seem normal at first, but soon you will learn to trust Him and to see how He is faithful in His promises. Will you make a commitment today to start casting out stress the way God wants you to instead of the way you’ve been doing it?
Jeff Myers
A servant of Jesus Christ
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