On several occasions recently, I prayed and received something from the Lord that didn't sit well with me when the thought first dropped into my spirit. He said, 'Julie, I need for you to care a little less." So after I heard this at least three times, I told the Lord I had disregarded it because it didn't sound like something He would say. So the Lord spoke again saying, "I did not say for you not to care, only to care a little less. Look in my Word at what I told you about the cares of this world." I immediately remembered when Jesus taught about the four different kinds of earth on which the sower cast seed. You can read this full parable and the explanation of it from Mark chapter 4. The attached photo is the primary quote from it that pertains to what I am writing about. Also remember, man was formed out of the dust of the ground. In this parable Christ explains that the ground is symbolic for the heart of man, and the seed is of the Word of truth shared with them. The Lord confirmed for me, in the Word, what He was saying to me in prayer. I then was able to receive and understand what He was telling me.
If we are not careful, we can become so consumed with cares over what is happening all around us that we begin to die spiritually inside. See the parable says that the cares spring up (become great) and choke the Word out of the believer. The end result is that they become unfruitful. This is spiritual death.
What did Jesus say about bearing fruit? In John 15:1-27, Christ is quoted to say, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
He is the vine, and we are the branches. Every branch that does not bear good fruit, he takes away. It is IMPERATIVE that we bear good fruit, and we can only do this if we abide in Him and He in us. He is the Word made flesh, and His Word has to spring up in us so that the cares of the world cannot spring up and choke it out.
Are we to care about what is happening in this world? Of course. Please bear this message in the context that Christ gave it to me. Philippians 2:4 tells us, "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." James 2:17 tells us that our "faith without works is dead." We are to show love and reach out to help others, so we have to care about what's happening around us. But there is this point at which one can care too much. One can carry too many cares. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us that when we carry our cares to the Lord we should be, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." The imagery of us casting ALL of our cares UPON Him is like loading them all up and letting them ride off into the sunset. In such a case, we shouldn't continue to carry them around and constantly suffer with worry over them. An essence of our faith includes releasing those cares to the One who can take care of them, but also trusting Him to do it in His way and in His time.
We live in a tumultuous world, and cares are plentiful. Maybe you are like my husband. He's calm and collected most often, and rarely seems to care about much of anything. You may not be the type of person who worries much or carries burdens often. Thank the Lord if you aren't, but I know many are like me. You probably pray about it, and probably pray about it often, but then you also try to see what you can do about it without having been given any clear direction from the Lord. Perhaps he doesn't need our help at all. If He does, He'll let you know, but perhaps He just needs our cares completely. Perhaps faith means trusting that He heard you the first time, and "he's got it", so you don't have to "have it" anymore.
Look at what keeps bothering you, day after day, and ask yourself, "Does my constant attention on this matter change anything about it? Am I really doing anything to change things by simply fretting over it, constantly complaining about it or constantly airing my concerns over it?" Trust me when I say this, if you are concerned about it, it is probably a real threat, and you are probably not alone in being concerned about it. It is not your calling to make sure everyone else worries about it just as much as you do. It is commanded of you not to carry those burdens, but to lay them upon the Lord completely and let them go. Don't pick it up again; don't start again doing the same habits over them. Pray about it, and trust God, and let them go. Remind yourself, "I have given this to the Lord" and intentionally change your mind.