Cast Your Cares on Him

Kenneth Copeland

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
(1 Peter 5:6)

When I first learned to cast my cares on the Lord, I was down in south Texas preaching a meeting that nobody was coming to. I'm telling you, people were staying away from that meeting by the thousands; and after a service or two with just the preacher, one or two others and me in attendance, I was starting to sweat it. But the Lord said, "Cast that care on Me," so I did.

I started walking around grinning and whistling. I told the devil, "I'm not going to frown or have one worried thought. I came here to preach and that's what I'm going to do, and it's God's business whether anyone shows up or not. I couldn't care less!"

I went around so happy I felt downright foolish. The devil said, "What's the matter with you? Don't you even have sense enough to worry over something like this?" I suppose people were saying, "I guess he's too dumb to worry. I think it's because he's never been to seminary. He can't tell a landslide from a flop."

But I told the Lord, "I have my care rolled over on You, and if nobody shows up but that one dear old woman, she's going to be the most preached-up old woman in the state of Texas because I'm going to preach just the same as if there were a crowd."

I didn't realize then what was happening, but that carefreeness put me in a non-compromising position with the devil. He couldn't get to me anymore. He couldn't get me in fear and unbelief anymore. He couldn't pressure me and get me to compromise because I didn't care. I'd given all my care to God!

Are you ready to be free of care? If you are, just make this confession of faith:

I'm a believer. I'm not a doubter. The Word works in me; and at this moment, I humble myself under the mighty hand of God. I cast all my care over on Him. From this moment forward, I refuse to worry. Instead, I will pray. I will use my faith and believe, and He'll exalt me over the problem and over the devil. For I belong to Jesus and He cares for me!

Scripture Study: Psalm 55:16-22

Zechariah 4:6

..."This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty."

The Error of Positive Thinking

Zechariah 4:6 ..."Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord Almighty.

God's people should be the most positive, joyful people on earth. This joy should be a by-product of a healthy, intimate relationship with Jesus. In today's business climate, we are barraged with every possible means of becoming more productive businesspeople. Positive thinking and self-help philosophy are promoted as tools for businesspeople to fulfill their potential and overcome the mountains in their lives. God calls each of us to be visionary leaders, but we must be careful that vision is born out of His Spirit, not the latest self-help program. These ideas lead us away from dependence on God to a self-based psychology designed to give us more power, prosperity, and significance.

The result is heresy. Our faith in God becomes faith in faith. It is born out of hard work and diligence rather than obedience to God's Spirit. The problem lies in that these philosophies sound good, and can even be supported by Bible verses. Beware of anything that puts the burden of performance on you rather than God. There are times in our lives when God doesn't want us to climb every mountain. Sometimes He wants us to go around. Knowing the difference is the key to being a man or woman led by the Spirit.

God has called us to affect the marketplace through His Spirit, not by our might. Have you tapped into the real power source of the soul? Ask the Lord to reveal and empower you through His Spirit today. Then you will know what real positive thinking is.