Do You Have 'Pet Cares'?
True peace and contentment come from seeking God's will, not from acquiring material possessions.
Theodore Epp addresses the issue of 'pet cares' in our lives, emphasizing that excessive concern for material possessions and hasty decisions can lead to anxiety that disrupts our faith and peace. He highlights three characteristics of excessive care: prioritizing things over God's will, making rushed decisions under pressure, and experiencing constant agitation due to unrest in our souls. Epp encourages believers to cast all their cares upon God, reminding them that true peace comes from being in alignment with His will rather than from acquiring possessions. He concludes with the reminder to seek God's kingdom first, assuring that all other needs will be met.
Text
Philippians 4:6,7; Matthew 6:24-34
There are at least three characteristics, or marks, that indicate we have excessive care. The first is being more concerned about things than about God's will for us.
We will never have peace by acquiring things; peace comes only by being in God's will, with or without the possessions we think we so greatly need.
Ours in the western world is a credit card society, and we are able to obtain about anything we want almost instantly. Then the anxiety comes in struggling to pay for all that was bought on impulse!
Whether anxiety comes from wanting possessions or from concern over how to pay for them, it must be underscored that anxiety chokes the life of faith and strangles the peace of God.
A second mark of excessive care is that in our hurried state we allow ourselves to be pressured into hasty decisions and actions.
Life provides many illustrations of times when we feel we must make a decision immediately, and then later we realize it was not that urgent after all. When we are in league with God, we can afford to wait for His perfect time.
A third characteristic of excessive care is that we are constantly agitated because of unrest in our souls. Faith--not worry--brings answers to prayers.
Some people have what I call "pet cares." They like to keep these cares to talk about, and one gets the feeling they do not really want to get rid of them. But God says we are to bring all of our cares to Him.
Usually one discovers he is either casting all of his cares upon God, or he is keeping all of his cares for himself.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:33).
Sermon Outline
- Characteristics of Excessive Care
- Being more concerned about things than about God's will
- Allowing ourselves to be pressured into hasty decisions and actions
- Being constantly agitated due to unrest in our souls
Key Quotes
“We will never have peace by acquiring things; peace comes only by being in God's will, with or without the possessions we think we so greatly need.” — Theodore Epp
“Faith--not worry--brings answers to prayers.” — Theodore Epp
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” — Theodore Epp
Application Points
- We should prioritize God's will over our desires for material possessions.
- We should learn to wait for God's perfect time before making decisions.
- We should trust in faith, not worry, to bring answers to our prayers.