Caring  vs  Carrying©

                                   By Dr. S. E. Williams

 

   Care – do you know what this word means? 

• Consider,
• dwell on,
• contemplate,
• watching,
• guarding,
• overseeing. 

      When I care about some one I am committed to them, as in I will do what I can, when I can, and if I know I can. 

 

     Now let’s look at the word ‘Carrying’:

• Transport
• Moving
• Shipping
• Hauling

      And what this word, carrying, means to me as the Spirit revealed, is like being burdened down physically, used to transport, move, haul, ship – as in a slave.  What it means also, now days for us here in America, is emotionally carrying; which leads/binds us and holds us captive to depression.

 

     A slave was one who was captured, sold, beaten, brutalized, raped, castrated, and killed, forced to labor.  Slaves carried whatever they were given to carry, they did not have a choice, and there was no care intended.  Slaves in this country were about someone else living a better life, off of the backs of captured and de-humanized workers.

 

     What is sad is that while the physical aspect of slavery was dealt with, and the former slaves are now free – slavery is still around in the soulical/ emotional /will realm, for many people. 

 

     The movie The Matrix ©, is the clearest picture of soulical slavery – and it points to a great need of many people.  The pressure is still on to brutally carry others – many people are captured and in bondage to ‘carrying’ others in a slave way.

     Now, I want to state here, that I am aware of times and seasons when it is necessary to carry someone or stress (emotional, mental) is a process we all can and do go through.  We all carry at some point when it is needed.  This carrying is fine.

 

     The carrying that is not fine is the bondage, captive, death carrying – that people here in America do without thinking about it – it wears the picture of helping others and being a ‘good person’ – but slavery carrying does not have anything to do with good, except to try to ‘look like it’s good’ when actually the good person is bound and held captive by the enemy of our soul.

 

     The real point here is that we have gone from being slaves physically to being slaves soulically – in our emotions, in our minds, in our beliefs.  

 

     In today’s world, caring has taken on more of carrying and while that can be good, it can also suck the life out of you.  Mainly because of the stress levels of being in touch with ‘news’, as well as at the ‘job’ and going to and from places (as in traveling). 

 

     This negative Carrying implies today that we are like slaves of the old days, carrying others’ problems, intellectually and emotionally.  Negative Carrying implies no hope, no way out, trapped, bound in jail because you care. The more you carry the deeper you fall into hopelessness.

 

     Well in caring for someone you love, you can carry at times – when and if the Holy Spirit leads you to know it is required – and the only way you will know is if you are attuned/connected to God in a real, 24/7 all year, every year. (24 hours, 7 days)   

 

     If you are not then you will ‘think’ that carrying someone else’s burdens is ok and righteous, or you will turn completely away in judgment acting out the ‘it’s not my problem’ syndrome.

 

     Helping out is not about carrying all the time, but you may be able to ‘do’ something – if led by the Holy Spirit.

 

     So good and godly carrying, that only comes through caring and knowing God so you hear the still quiet voice within that tells you to care or to carry or a bit of both. 

 

     In caring about others in the world – the biggest trap is becoming a ‘slave’ to automatically carrying (negative carrying) others in the world’ -  which is attached to immaturity and ignorance and lack of personal relationship with God through the Word of God – reading and studying. 

 

     What the above paragraph points out the problem and the answer to this problem is  God – as in we need to cry out to God with all of our heart to know what to do and when to do it, as the Holy Spirit leads us, in answer from God, lets us know. Psalm 107 says it very clearly.

 

King James Version

Psalm 107

 

   ¹O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. ²Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;  ³And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. ⁴They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. ⁵Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.  

 ⁶Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.  ⁷And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

   ⁸Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  ⁹For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. ¹⁰Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;  ¹¹Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: ¹²Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.

¹³Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.  ¹⁴He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.  ¹⁵Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!   ¹⁶For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

  ¹⁷Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.  ¹⁸Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.   

¹⁹Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.  ²⁰He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.   ²¹Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  ²²And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

²³They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; ²⁴These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.  ²⁵For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.  ²⁶They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.  ²⁷They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end.

²⁸Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.  ²⁹He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. ³⁰Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.  ³¹Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

³²Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.  ³³He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;  ³⁴A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

³⁵He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. ³⁶And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; ³⁷And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.  ³⁸He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.

³⁹Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.  ⁴⁰He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.  

⁴¹Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.  ⁴²The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.  ⁴³Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

Amplified Version:

Psalm 107

 ¹O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!   ²Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary,  ³And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the [Red] Sea in the south.

⁴Some wandered in the wilderness in a solitary desert track; they found no city for habitation.  ⁵Hungry and thirsty, they fainted; their lives were near to being extinguished.   ⁶Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.  ⁷He led them forth by the straight and right way, that they might go to a city where they could establish their homes.

⁸Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!  ⁹For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good.

¹⁰Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and in irons,   ¹¹Because they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High.  ¹²Therefore He bowed down their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled and fell down, and there was none to help.

¹³Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.  ¹⁴He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke apart the bonds that held them.  ¹⁵Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!  ¹⁶For He has broken the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron apart.

¹⁷Some are fools [made ill] because of the way of their transgressions and are afflicted because of their iniquities. ¹⁸They loathe every kind of food, and they draw near to the gates of death.  

¹⁹Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivers them out of their distresses.  ²⁰He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction.  ²¹Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!  ²²And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing!

²³Some go down to the sea and travel over it in ships to do business in great waters;  ²⁴These see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep. ²⁵For He commands and raises up the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea.  ²⁶[Those aboard] mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the deeps; their courage melts away because of their plight. ²⁷They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits' end [all their wisdom has come to nothing].

²⁸Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses.  ²⁹He hushes the storm to a calm and to a gentle whisper, so that the waves of the sea are still ³⁰Then the men are glad because of the calm, and He brings them to their desired haven.   ³¹Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!

³²Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people and praise Him in the company of the elders.  ³³He turns rivers into a wilderness, water springs into a thirsty ground, ³⁴A fruitful land into a barren, salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it.

³⁵He turns a wilderness into a pool of water and a dry ground into water springs; ³⁶And there He makes the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation,  ³⁷And sow fields, and plant vineyards which yield fruits of increase. ³⁸He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly, and allows not their cattle to decrease.

³⁹When they are diminished and bowed down through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,  ⁴⁰He pours contempt upon princes and causes them to wander in waste places where there is no road.   ⁴¹Yet He raises the poor and needy from affliction and makes their families like a flock.   ⁴²The upright shall see it and be glad, but all iniquity shall shut its mouth.

⁴³Whoso is wise [if there be any truly wise] will observe and heed these things; and they will diligently consider the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord.

Psalm 107 – Message Version

 

 ^{1 -3} Oh, thank God—he's so good! His love never runs out.
   All of you set free by God, tell the world!
      Tell how he freed you from oppression,
   Then rounded you up from all over the place,
      from the four winds, from the seven seas.
^{4 -9} Some of you wandered for years in the desert,
      looking but not finding a good place to live,
   Half-starved and parched with thirst,
      staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion.
   Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God.
      He got you out in the nick of time;
   He put your feet on a wonderful road
      that took you straight to a good place to live.
   So thank God for his marvelous love,
      for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.
   He poured great draughts of water down parched throats;
      the starved and hungry got plenty to eat.
^{10 -16} Some of you were locked in a dark cell,
      cruelly confined behind bars,
   Punished for defying God's Word,
      for turning your back on the High God's counsel—
   A hard sentence, and your hearts so heavy,
      and not a soul in sight to help.
   Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
      he got you out in the nick of time.
   He led you out of your dark, dark cell,
      broke open the jail and led you out.
   So thank God for his marvelous love,
      for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;
   He shattered the heavy jailhouse doors,
      he snapped the prison bars like matchsticks!
^{17 -22} Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life,
      your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
   You couldn't stand the sight of food,
      so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead.
   Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
      he got you out in the nick of time.
   He spoke the word that healed you,
      that pulled you back from the brink of death.
   So thank God for his marvelous love,
      for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;
   Offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
      tell the world what he's done—sing it out!
^{23 -32} Some of you set sail in big ships;
      you put to sea to do business in faraway ports.
   Out at sea you saw God in action,
      saw his breathtaking ways with the ocean:
   With a word he called up the wind— an ocean storm, towering waves!
   You shot high in the sky, then the bottom dropped out;
      your hearts were stuck in your throats.
   You were spun like a top, you reeled like a drunk,
      you didn't know which end was up.
   Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
      he got you out in the nick of time.
   He quieted the wind down to a whisper, put a muzzle on all the big waves.
   And you were so glad when the storm died down,
      and he led you safely back to harbor.
   So thank God for his marvelous love,
      for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.
   Lift high your praises when the people assemble, shout Hallelujah when the elders meet!
^{33 -41} God turned rivers into wasteland, springs of water into sunbaked mud;
   Luscious orchards became alkali flats because of the evil of the people who lived there.
   Then he changed wasteland into fresh pools of water, arid earth into springs of water,
   Brought in the hungry and settled them there; they moved in—what a great place to live!
   They sowed the fields, they planted vineyards, they reaped a bountiful harvest.
   He blessed them and they prospered greatly; their herds of cattle never decreased.
   But abuse and evil and trouble declined as he heaped scorn on princes and sent them away.
   He gave the poor a safe place to live, treated their clans like well-cared-for sheep.
⁴³ Good people see this and are glad;
      bad people are speechless, stopped in their tracks.

   If you are really wise, you'll think this over—it's time you appreciated God's deep love.

 

Now re-read this Psalm and take notes as you read each version – there are spiritual insights that the Lord wants to bring to you, as you cry out with your heart to hear from the Lord.