Who Cares? Jesus!
When you care ABOUT someone, you demonstrate a “caring” attitude, such as love, respect, appreciation, and sympathy when that person is experiencing difficult circumstances.
When you care FOR someone, that “caring” turns into action. You serve that person with compassion, helping that person lighten his/her burden. You help take on that burden to assist that person to provide relief. It drives you to intervene to remove that burden or circumstance from him/her.
The word, “care” can be a verb, as in an action of caring for someone. It can also be a noun, as in taking or sharing a care (burden) so that person is no longer afflicted or, at least, not bearing the burden alone.
The Bible says God cares for us and wants us to cast our cares (burdens) on Him so He can carry them for us (Psalm 55:22; I Peter 5:7). Peter goes a little further: “cast your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” The word “care” that appears first implies anxiety or trouble. Casting our anxiety on Jesus is replaced with His ‘peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). The word “cares” in, “He cares for you” is a different word in Greek, meaning interest or affection. Jesus demonstrated His love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8) so that we could be saved from His judgment and receive His gift of grace and mercy.
What does all that mean? Jesus wants us to give Him all our worries, fear, and anxiety knowing that He loves us and affectionately wants us to rest in Him (Matthew 11:28) through trust and faith (Isaiah 26:3). We do not work for our salvation or work to appease God. We do not have to fret about our sin, God’s judgment, or the future because we are secure in His love, His grace, and His care. When we are in the Almighty God’s care, no one or no thing can separate us from Him (Romans 8:38).
Jesus says, “come to me, all that labor and are heavy laden [with burdens] and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
In ministry, believers are to share each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) to lighten the load with action and compassion so that believers “rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn (or weep) with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).
Paul instructs that this sharing is not intended to ease others’ burdens at your expense or to create additional hardship for you, but “by way of equality — at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need” (2 Corinthians 8:13–14). In context, this passage addresses the grace of giving and helping relieve other believers who were financially distressed. The concept does not, however, conflict with a believer’s ministry to help other believers in need and, thereby, lessening their burden, or heaviness.
Who cares? Jesus! Jesus tells His followers to expect persecution, trials, and suffering but that by coming to Him and acknowledging He is in control and works everything for our good (Romans 8:28), He will share and take our burden as we walk alongside Him. We do not go through trials alone nor do we need to carry our heavy burdens. Jesus wants to help us, but we must come alongside Him and ask Him through prayer, through relationship, through fellowship, and He will not only make our burden lighter to bear but will give us His perfect peace as our minds are trusting and stayed on Him (Isaiah 26:3).
