WATCHWORD:
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Meditation:
Corrie ten Boom, from Clippings from My Notebook, “Worry doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strength.”
Worry. We do, despite our Lord telling us “do not worry”, we just go right on worrying. Or do we? Some worry is not worry. Right? We look both ways, twice, before driving through an intersection. We use caution on stairs. Some of us check the ‘Use by date’ on foods, just to be safe. Is all that evidence of worry?
In this age of covid19, we take great care to isolate ourselves, use masks, keep ‘social distance’, all in the interest of keeping healthy. To not take those steps, recommended by the scientists who know, is foolhardy. Yet, many of us, who venture out to the grocery store, or other places, see so many who ignore the best thinking of those who know.
Is there a difference between worry and prudence, wisdom, taking care? Yes. We, who are vulnerable due to age, lung and/or heart disease, or other infirmities, work to keep ourselves safe and avoid risk. That is smart.
We all know someone who simply refuses to wear a mask, despite the fact that masks protect others, not so much the wearer. That would suggest that pride becomes the decider, trumping concern for others.
We know that pride has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began. Other vices may sometimes bring people together: you may find good fellowship, friendliness and a good laugh, where adult beverages flow freely. But pride always means separation and enmity.
Wait! How did we get on to pride, and what does that have to do with worry?
Well, the root of all worry, fretting, anxiety lies in the belief that what happens is ultimately in our hands. We are in charge! If you think that what happens is ultimately in your hands, that’s pride.
The proud person feels that only he or she has to make things happen. But the truth is, quoting Jesus, none of us can add an inch to our height or an hour to our life by worrying about it. What happens, finally, is in the hands of God.
Be honest, do you worry a lot, have bouts of anxiety? If we want to deal with our worries, the place to begin, is to deal with our pride. Humility frees us of worry.
Wait another minute! There’s another word, humility.
Think of it this way: Pride says, what happens is up to me and this only creates more anxiety, worry. Humility says, “Lord, everything that concerns me is in your hands.” This is the beginning of peace.
Remember, Corrie’s words, worry drains our strength.
When you worry, God says, “You’re my child. Why are you acting like an orphan?”
So, when Jesus tells us “Do not worry”, He’s saying, ‘trust Me’. Trust me with your life, your loved ones, everything, for I am worthy. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
Update on Nancy Jamerson – Keep her in our prayers as they continue to run more tests.
Thanks to Jim and Shirley Mishler for the page from The Risk of Faith Bible study, offering a perspective on worry and the Christian walk – “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but spiritual power.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
To resolve conflicts between management and staff, I brought both sides together and asked employees to jot down key words on a flip chart. One participant complained about management’s tendency to interfere and wrote the word nitpicking. A manager leaped to his feet to ask, “Shouldn’t there be a hyphen between nit and picking?” I wonder if that was my editor? Hmmm.
Personal Prayer:
“Dear Father, I admit that I often forget that you are with me. I often forget what you’re like. Would you please forgive me for that? I need to get to know you better. I need to get to know your Word and your promises better. Help me to put you first in every area of my life. Help me to live one day at a time. Help me to not worry about tomorrow but instead focus on what you’re doing in my life right now. I want to trust in your promise to take care of every one of my needs — financial, relational, physical, social, spiritual, and emotional. Help me to trust you more and worry less. I pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
