WATCHWORD:
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:25-34
Meditation:
Worry
As you read this I’m in Colorado, at the start of a 26-day, multi-leg journey from Indiana to Illinois to Colorado to California to Illinois, then back to Indiana. (Prayers, please.) This has involved many details of stopping the mail, arranging for plants to be watered, airline tickets, car rental, hotel rentals, and then there’s the simple matter of packing, taking all my electronics, clothing, shoes, what’s the weather at my various destinations? On top of that, I take meds in the morning and in the evening, times 26 days! Goodness! Worry, worry, worry!
I did notice that all the worrying I was doing was making me extremely happy, and all the complications just magically disappeared, all because I was worrying. Do you buy that? How about this, a few days before I left, I didn’t sleep well, worrying over little details. And frequently asking myself, what am I forgetting? Do you believe that? Of course.
The Oxford dictionary defines worry as “allowing one’s mind to dwell on difficulties or troubles.” Or, “a state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems.” Did you get that? We worry about things that haven’t happened, but might happen. We worry about the negative result of our playing the mind game of ‘what if…?’ What if…the car doesn’t start and I miss my flight? What if…I forgot something? Silly stuff.
Then along comes our Lord and Savior telling us “Do not worry about your life, what you shall eat and what you shall drink, or, in my case, what I should pack, and all those other little details. Make your plans, do what you must do, but do not worry. I’ve got this, our Lord tells us!”
There is a big difference between doing what you must do, and worrying about it. Think about this: Accepting the gift of the Holy Spirit, our Lord and Savior requires us to do something first — Make our commitment, then rest in His promises and grace. And above all, trust it all to Him. Right?
So, I did “due diligence”. I made my plans and reservations, I placed the entire journey in the hands of the Lord, took a deep breath…and…a wee small voice of worry whispered…did you forget something? I reply: No, I have not! With intentional prayer, I surrendered it all to Him and trusted that He has “got this”. Amen?
Bulletin Board:
Is there a time to worry about worrying? There is no shortage of things to worry about — from personal concerns about job security or health, to fears related to political conflicts or natural disasters. Temporary anxiety can be a healthy response to uncertainty and danger, but constant worry and nervousness may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. That would be a time to worry about worrying. Just remember that Jesus was not just speaking to the sea, he was speaking to you and me. Peace, be still.
The Serenity Prayer:
GOD, grant me the serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change,
Courage to change the
things I can, and the
wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardship as the
pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, this
sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make
all things right if I
surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy
in this life, and supremely
happy with Him forever in
the next.
Amen
