At one point, I very much wanted a shirt that said, “Don’t own it!” and referenced 1 Peter 5:7.
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7 KJV
Why did I want this shirt? Because I needed the reminder, of course!
I have had a tendency, in the past, to take on other people’s problems as if they were my own. Now, empathy is a good thing, a very good thing. Being consumed by others’ problems is not, and that’s what I would let happen.
So, sad to say, then I would flip. I put a wall around my heart so I could hear about other people’s issues yet stay totally separated from them. Needless to say, this was equally as bad. Yes, it “protected” me from being consumed by the other person’s pain, but it also meant I was petty much useless to them spiritually.
Both ends of the spectrum are demonic, in case you haven’t realized this already. God is in the balance one finds in the middle. So yes, when a need comes to your attention take it, but don’t keep it. Don’t own it. If you take ownership, refusing to hand it over to God (who is the only One capable of handling everything), you don’t help them and you harm yourself. Cast all cares on Him; He can handle it and it’s what He wants.
It’s a simple concept, but oh did it take me a while to learn to walk it out.
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C