Held by the Father: Hope for Weary Caregivers
SEP 14, 2026
This is part of a piece I wrote in my time as a summer intern at Lighthouse Community Church. My personal experience as a caregiver has come with many blessings, but challenges. As a caregiver or a friend of a caregiver, what might it look like encourage hope in Christ? Whatever role you play, I hope this article can be profitable to you.
As a caregiver, you might have been thrust into a life you never expected. Maybe the memory loss of your aging parent with dementia brings a new loss to grieve daily. Or after a sibling’s sudden accident, you found yourself in the new role of primary conservator. Or, if you’re like me, you’re caring for a beloved family member with a disability and complex physical needs. Caregiver, as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23), may we cast ourselves upon the hope in our Father’s love which enfolds us with care.
GOD'S DESIGN FOR OUR RELATIONSHIPS
In our relationships, we reflect something of the loving unity of our triune God. In Jesus’s High Priestly prayer to the Father, Jesus prays for believers; that “they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me” (John 17:21). He continues, “and I in you, that they also may be in us.” None of our inadequacies can separate us from our Father, whom we depend on for our every need (Matthew 6:30).
God also designed man to live in relationship with others, saying, “It is not good that man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Jethro supported a weary Moses in his ministry (Exodus 18), and Ruth expressed unwavering commitment to her beloved aging mother-in-law (Ruth 1). Jesus cared for His mother even from the cross (John 19:27). Through your caregiving, you magnify the great beauty of Christ.
THREE PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR CAREGIVING
Yet, there are times when this joy is eclipsed by the weariness of this burden. The goal of these three practical suggestions is to color our lives with hope in knowing our identity as children of God.
Consider your heart as you care
Consider your responsibility as you care
Just as we hope in the love of our Father, we also hope in His all-powerful, all-knowing, sovereign care for us.
Paul Tripp distinguishes between our responsibilities and our concerns. Our responsibilities are what God has entrusted to us; our concerns are outcomes we care deeply about but cannot control.
Say my hypothetical responsibility is to cook daily meals for my brother. My concern is whether he will eat and enjoy them. I have made meals he enjoyed before, but today he refuses to eat and is losing an unhealthy amount of weight. God has entrusted me to care for him, but God does not expect me or intend for me to control my brother’s health. It is a humbling reality to consider that even if I was the most skilled cook, there might still be days when he won’t eat. What I can do is offer food faithfully, pursue medical care, and entrust His health to God.
As creatures, we are not all-powerful, sovereign, and capable of meeting every need. How might God be calling you to wisely steward your responsibilities and entrust your concerns to God through prayer? As we do, we will grow in responding to matters outside of our ability with greater peace in God’s sovereignty. “Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?” (Lamentations 3:37).
Consider your community as you care
As God’s children, we live in complete dependence on God for all of our needs (Acts 17:28). In my experience, remembering my identity helped me start to resist isolation because I acknowledged that I couldn’t care for my loved one alone.
God provides a faithful way of care in our adoption to a family of believers in the church. On a Sunday, it might be helpful to start by sharing something of lighter concern, yet expressing your needs with honesty. Even the most mature believers may struggle to encourage hope simply due to a lack of experience with the subject matter. As we share, observe those who respond in wisdom and humility and slowly take steps to share something a little deeper each time.
Church members and extended family should also serve caregivers by taking initiative. It may be intimidating to know where to start, but you can begin with offering one specific form of help and completing it faithfully. Maybe it is offering transportation, a meal, or an hour of respite. Ask a caregiver how you could practically serve them, respect when they say “no,” and continue to show up in seasons after an immediate crisis has passed.
As we consider the unique giftings and limitations of those around us, we can hopefully marvel with thankfulness for the unique diversity of care God provides within our church body (Romans 12:6-8).
Fighting for hope
Caregiver, as you lay your life down for your loved one, you are making the love of Christ visible. You are an indispensable encouragement to your fellow believers in both your joy and your weakness. Like Jeremiah, we mourn as people who have seen affliction, walking through what feels like a sea of darkness without light (Lamentations 3:1–2). Yet in the midst of his mourning, he says, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope” (v. 21).
Caregiver, the LORD is our portion and our cup (v. 23). Jeremiah says, “therefore I will hope in him” (v. 24). Because Christ laid down his life for us, we can serve without believing that we are our loved one’s savior (1 John 3:16). As we journey through the shadows, may we find hope in God’s steadfast love as we behold our King and become more like him, from one degree of glory to another.