I Don't Care ?

The past 10 months have been trying for all of us. What have you missed out on?

My daughter was a senior and she didn’t get to try and go to state in tennis, no prom (need dress? cheap!), no banquets and she has class at college mostly in her dorm on her computer. (Why am i paying so much? Can I get a discount for that?)

My son does not do Zoom well. Pretty sure he flunked the last 6 weeks of his sophomore year.

5000 Christian kids could not get together for the annual Leadership Training in Christ at Easter.

We cancelled family reunions. We didn’t go to weddings, funerals or the birth of babies we would have celebrated. My friend postponed her wedding 5 months.

Our karate studio closed for good. A lady I know had to close her dream shop she only had a short while.

While taking a walk outside and looking at the sky and deer in the pasture, it dawned on me, I need to act like I don’t care. But more than that, I really need to not care.

The bible backs up my ah ha moment in:

1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

So, if I truly am relying on God because he cares for me, I should focus on the comfort-giver who can handle my disappointment, frustration and sadness. If I truly give it to him, I should not take it back and continue to think about things I can’t change.

1 John 2:15-17 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

This is saying I should not put any of these things before God like tennis games or school or funerals or even family. All these things will pass and I should not care about them more than I care about God’s promises to me. If I want to live forever in eternity with Him, I should not care about the worldly cares. I have to deal with them and let them go.

Luke 9:23 says, ‘Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’”

Philippians 1:21 says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Let’s go even a step farther. When my kids don’t do their chores like feed the animals, take out trash, clean litter, or have 17 socks in the living room and kitchen, I’m supposed to not care about that either and give grace.

Acts 20:24 says, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

Grace= unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their sanctification

Sanctification= to free from sin; to impart respect to

I did nothing for God to show me grace, but he did it anyway. People don’t do things that are holy, quite the opposite, but I should not care and give them grace regardless.

Romans 8:29 says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, ...”

We are to have the same qualities and characteristics as Jesus. He cared so deeply, he wanted what God had given him to be with him (John 17:2,6,9,24) so much, He gave himself in our place so we could be covered and join him.

So, I should care about the ones my Father gave me and not their actions or non-actions. I should focus on the things I have right in front of me and not the things CORONA has taken from me and my family. I should give grace when others mess up. I should go in their place so they look holy. I should give grace when my plans and expectations are dashed.

Earthly things will pass and I should not care about those. I should even loose myself so others can flourish. My care should be on heavenly things. There will be no tennis, flunking grades or disease in heaven.

So, I actually walk around the house seeing dirty dishes from 4 days ago that I have asked to be picked up and say, “GRACE”. I find boots to trip over after asking to please put them up and say, “GRACE”. Dog poop in the game room = GRACE. Going to bed alone = GRACE. I count it all GRACE.

So, if I am letting the cares of this world get me down, I’ll look stressed and depressed. But if I am truly doing what the scriptures say, I will have joy no one or virus or cancellation can steal.

James 1:2 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ...”

1 Thessalonians 1:6 says, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”

The one thing that has gotten me through these last 10 months is my parents!!! They came to my daughter’s graduation. We only got 5 tickets. We had a smashing party and drive-by graduation parade. My parents have come countless times to my son’s football games this season. My birth mother and her husband came to a couple games, too! Thank the Lord for these games and I could see my family!! If it hadn’t been for that, I’d be taking depression meds (probably not, but people can only take so much and the use of anti-depressants, suicide and relapses have sky rocketed !!)

I can only appear strong for so long. I think I found a lot of comfort walking around in the yard. God just said, “Don’t care about those things! Care more about ME!”

How are you caring more about Him these last 10 months? How have you had to refocus? What have you let go of?

I have shifted my mindset in Him totally and continually because people and situations will disappoint and disappear.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ...”

Nahum 1:7 says, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, ...”

So, I urge you to become mature in the sense that you don’t care about events on this earth because you know God is at work in it all. Revelation predicts it will get worse anyway (great!!)

I don’t care! I will not allow Satan to use my emotions to lead me away from hope, faith, joy and peace. Not today Satan! I’m taking back my control and saying I don’t care about this world and the one who prowls around looking for someone to devour. I care about heaven more. I focus on heaven more. I have a Savior that loves me more and wants my best even in post-CORONA.

Dump your stress and anxiety over this mess, find blessings in it all and be grateful and thankful.

Intentionally look upward to the One who cares!

My faith is in Jesus. My hope is in Jesus.

“Sometimes the most real things are the things you can’t see.” Conductor on Polar Express