“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

The Christian life is one of adversity. The Bible tells us that this is of a necessity and is the result of living a Godly life (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus said that the World hates us because it hates Him (John 15:18-23). As so this is our portion in this World as we identity with Christ, showing forth His Life in us.

But we need not to despair when we are facing mountain-sized obstacles and trials of faith brought on by the World. We have the assurance that Christ has already overcome the World (John 16:33) and that He causes us to be triumphant (2 Corinthians 2:14). Our text gives us comfort and a word of encouragement to “let go and let God” do what He has promised to do – care for us.

This message may be stated in the form of a mathematical equation:

Trials plus Christ equals Assurance

Taking each of these factors as a point for discussion, we can get a better understanding of our relationship with Christ as He has promised to bear our burdens. We can come to see that the battle belongs to Him, and that He will make us to be victorious in our Christian life.

Previously, we looked at the first two parts of our equation; today we look at the third part, Assurance.

Assurance:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30)

When we look at the problems we face as a result of living a Christ-honoring life, we are given the assurance of victory because Christ has already risen as Victor, and He causes us to be triumphant as a witness thereto. Jesus instructs us to take His yoke upon ourselves and allow Him to shoulder the burden. Our First Peter text instructs us to cast all of our cares upon Him; because He cares for us. So not only is he able and willing to care for us, but that is His responsibility – He cares for us. At the cross of Calvary, all our problems became His. Hallelujah!

To use an illustration: there were two psychiatrists that worked in the same building, one on the 2^nd floor, and the other on the 4^th floor. Occasionally the two psychiatrists would meet on the elevator. Whenever the elevator would stop at the 2^nd floor, the first psychiatrist would turn around as he got off the elevator and spit into the face of the second psychiatrist. Every time they rode together, the first would spit in the face of the second, who simply wiped the spit out of his face and rode on to his floor in silence.

Finally one day, the guy operating the elevator got fed up. He asked the second psychiatrist, “Why does he keep doing that? Every time the two of you ride together, he spits in your face just before he gets off and you never do anything! Why does he do that?”

To which the second psychiatrist replied, “I don’t know – that’s his problem.”

The lesson we get is to stop taking others people’s problems and making them our own. Stop making their problems our problems. The guy that operated the elevator was upset about something that was really none of his business.

The second psychiatrist, the one being spat upon for no apparent reason, refused to allow his colleague’s problem to dictate how he lived his life or how he felt. It wasn’t his problem.

The Bible tells us of the atoning work of Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. We’ve seen that it was through these means that he has overcome the World, obtaining victory over all things and causing us to triumph. He gives us the victory.

Having taken our sin, our sickness, our shame upon Himself on the Cross, He has paid the penalty and taken the punishment that is rightfully ours; and given us peace, which is rightfully His. The World will be a place of troubles and problems, but Christ has overcome the World and causes us to overcome. In all things, “…we are more than conquerors…” (Romans 8:37).

Christ offers us a victorious life. Yes, problems will arise because we are identified with Christ. But as a result of this double identification, our problems rightfully belong to our Saviour. As we trust Him to do exceeding abundantly above all we could ask or think (Ephesians 3:20), let’s stop making His problems our own.

Cast all your care upon Him, because He cares for us. Allow Him to handle the problems that are His, as He has already overcome them.