23 March 2008 - Elder Chew Chong Kiat
FULL OF CARES
The world that we live in today is full of cares. The modern lifestyle that we tout about, notwithstanding the comfort and convenience it brings, comes with it a bill of cares. The old epithet is true, "The more we accumulate the more the cares". Singaporeans are big consumers, we are known by our big spending. There are so many places to shop and still more are added by the months. Mega Fairs also fan consumerism amongst us- Travel fairs, IT fairs, Warehouse Clearance, etc often report of booming sales. This goes to show how much Singaporeans are accumulating.
Singaporeans are also characterized by an incessant care about appearance as advertisements bombard our minds every which way we turn- from the apparels to the accessories and from the skin to the flab we are assaulted with an incessant cry that we do not look good enough, and that we ought to do something about it. Many including children of God are taken up with much cares about what to wear and what to eat (organic or health supplements) and how to make your flab go away, and to change the look from the hair (not just the head) to the toe.
But Jesus taught His disciples on the Mount, "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" (Mt 6:25 ) He points us to learn from the birds of the air and the lilies in the field and exhorts us to have faith in God. ( v 26-31 ) If our heavenly Father takes care of these, how much more us who are His blood bought children! Why are we so full of cares for these things?
More often than not we are careful for things that do not really matter in the end, and sadder still we are careless about things that really matter. Many today are so full of cares for their careers, their business, their looks, their health, their children's education, their future, etc. only to find (often too late) that they do not really matter in comparison to what had been lost and been careless about. We are exhorted in 2Co 4:18 to "look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
What could unbelievers lose if they are full of cares for things that are seen and things temporal and ignore their souls in the process? "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mk 8:36-37 ) How sad it will be to lose the most important thing - our souls and the souls of our loved ones because we are careful for the wrong things and careless about the important things. Take heed, if you remain fruitless, it could be that you are not a child of God and the day will come, that God will cut you off as a barren branch and cast you into the lake of fire. (Jn 15:2 , 6 )
What do Christians lose when they are full of cares? They lose the privilege of being fruitful. "He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful." (Mt 13:22 ) Mark adds "the lusts of other things entering in" (Mk 4:19 ) and Luke "the pleasures of this life" (Lu 8:14 ). Alas, all the sowing, nurturing and watering year after year that brought no fruit in a believer's life! The reason is,"He is full of cares!"
We are also reminded by our Lord Jesus in Lu 21:34 "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares." If you are full of cares, you will also not be prepared for the coming of the Lord. God forbid that the children of light should be caught unaware. Beware, lest you are left behind like the foolish virgins who did not have oil in their lamps. Be like the faithful, who is "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Tit 2:13 ).
What must we do to shed off this care of the world syndrome?
a) Begin to do a spiritual audit and ask the Holy Spirit to search and see if there are any unnecessary cares that we are careful about; If there are, cut them off!
b) In the case of those "legitimate" cares, God's instruction is "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Php 4:6 ) And 1Pe 5:7 , "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you". You need to learn to trust in God and to rest on Him. Do what you can and trust God with the rest. Continue to seek him for wisdom to do better, and learn to be content with such things as you have, for godliness with contentment is great gain. Learn to pray and cast your cares on God, for He really cares for His own (remember the lilies and the fowls of the air). Trust Him.