Matthew 11:28 | 1 Peter 5:7 | Luke 12:7 | John 14:16
God likes it when you pass the buck…to Him.
President Harry Truman’s desk in the White House sported a sign which read, “The buck stops here.” You see, there used to be an expression: to “pass the buck” meant to pass the responsibility on to someone else. As the chief decision-maker in the United States government, President Truman’s sign was a reminder that the weight of responsibility rested squarely on his shoulders.
It’s easy to pass the buck when something goes wrong. Mom asks, “Did you hit your brother?” And you reply, “He started it!” You passed the buck. But really, Mom knows who is responsible… You had a choice of how to respond when your brother called you that ugly name, didn’t you?
But sometimes, we get overwhelmed by life’s responsibilities. They become burdensome.
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 NLT
Jesus offers the solution: come to him and take a breather! When you are overcome with ‘the weight of the world’, pass the buck…to God.
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7 NLT
Maybe you are reluctant to just offload all your problems this way. Maybe you feel the way A.J. did in today’s episode: “God doesn’t have time to help me… He’s got bigger things to do.”
Don’t forget–YOU are a big thing to God.
And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
Luke 12:7 NLT
God knows every hair on your head! He created you, and he loves you. He cares about the piddliest of your piddly little problems.
Before Jesus went up to Heaven, he told his disciples they would receive a paraclete–a which translates (from Greek) as advocate, intercessor, comforter, or helper.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever—
John 14:16 Amplified Bible
He knew they would need it. And you know you need it, too. So stop worrying, and start passing that buck.
Here’s how… Are you stressed about a test? Pray for help, and study without worrying. Are your friends giving you a hard time? Ask God to help you, and ask for perspective. Then it’s God’s responsibility–you passed the buck.
Questions for Group Discussion
- Why is it hard sometimes to ‘pass the buck’ to God? Is it just a matter of habit, or does it go deeper?
- When was a time you thought God might have bigger things to do than helping you? Did you get over that, or did it stop you from asking Him for help?
- If the truth is that God wants to help you in every little thing, where did that lie about God not having time or interest for your little problems originate? Why would anyone want you to believe that?
Challenge: Pass the Buck
Let’s get literal!
While we have encouraged you to pass on the weight of your responsibilities to God, the meaning of the expression still remains. And it is good to know where the responsibility lies.
- Keep a dollar bill in your wallet or purse (or wherever you keep cash).
- If you find yourself passing the buck in a figurative sense, pass the dollar bill literally to the person on whom you were offloading the responsibility. Then replace the dollar. (That’ll teach you!)
- If you find yourself worrying about a responsibility, stop and pray about it. Pass the buck to God, and when you can, place the dollar bill in your Bible.
- Keep track of how many dollar bills you go through.
- At the end of the week, ask God what to do with the money in your Bible. He may want you give it to your church…he may want you to buy yourself ice cream!
