Friday, April 26, 2013
For Worriers Like Me
Do you know anyone that is what some might call, a “natural worrier”? Growing up I often heard people say let tomorrow worry about tomorrow, focus on today. What I did not know as a child that this was one of the teachings of Jesus. In Matthew 6: 34 it says “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” I have often thought about this in my Christian walk, I guess because I have thought of myself as a natural worrier. This one scripture is great, but it is even better if we read what leads up to it.
For me most of my worries are about my family and their well being. Will they have the food they need? What about the clothes for that certain thing at school? Or when they are old enough how will they buy a house? Matthew 6 actually addresses this more fully. Jesus is explaining the bigger picture of life, which was always the good news He was trying to bring. God is watching over His creation. He provides food for birds, yet they have no barns. The lilies and wild flowers are arrayed like kings, but they did not search for that covering. God cares much more for us. God is on our side. His point was that we run into trouble with our eyes because they are the lamp to the body. What does He mean?
From outside us we get inputs. We get to choose what inputs we pay attention to with our eyes, ears, actions, etc. If we let our concerns rule us, we will forget that God is watching over us and that He is on our side. We can be in danger of becoming like the children of Israel in the wilderness, believing in God but also not trusting that He was on their side – no faith. Jesus was doing what He often did, providing the course correction away from the doctrines of men and the fears within us and toward the good news that God was on our side. “Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things, [your every need] will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).”
Prayer
Father, thank You for being on our side. I ask that You give us what we need today, for me and my family, for the those that are worried today and their families, and for those that do not yet know Your greatness. Reveal Yourself to men that they might know that it is You alone that are the King of the universe. In Jesus name. Amen.