Casting My Cares

on top of the hill originally uploaded by Per Ola Wiberg ~ Powi

After months--no, years--of questioning, wondering, weighing, testing, and praying about a future career, I have finally decided on my college major. I want a Bachelor of Arts in English, perhaps minoring in History, from Thomas Edison State College. 

Phew!

I know that it's a small first step, but I'm so much more confident now. I have a battle plan, now I can march forward. 

You have probably had big decisions to make in the past, big decisions that tore you back and forth between two or three options. Up until lately I've cringed at the thought of selecting a degree: What if I make the wrong decision? What if I regret this? What if I discover something better when it's too late? 

 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." 

-Philippians 4:6-7

I'm afraid that I missed the boat on that one. I was filled with anything but peace! And I think I now know why: I was presenting my requests to God, but I wasn't leaving them with Him. 

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."   

-1 Peter 5:7

As Christians we are supposed to cast our worries on Christ and then leave them there! If we keep taking them back, saying, "I know I said I'd rely on you, but I really want to take care of this myself now," then how do we think He is going to deal with our problems? I had a terrible time in this area and certainly didn't fulfill Paul's admonition to "not be anxious about anything."

How counter-culture is that?

We live in a society that worries constantly! We worry about politics, we worry about global warming, we worry about gas prices, we worry about job stress, we worry about our family troubles. What is this doing to our lives? Imagine the relief, imagine the "peace of God, which transcends all understanding" flooding into your world!

So I failed on this last struggle. But what about my search for the right career? Well, I'm going to begin a grand experiment and leave my worry in God's hands. I will do research, I will learn, I will pray, but at the end of the day I will wait on the Lord and seek His peace above all things. 

What about you?