Why We Shouldn't Worry

Matthew 6: 25-34 (NIV): 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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 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? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I once heard a speaker say, “We belong to God and God takes care of his stuff.” That statement has given me much comfort through the years. I belong to God and he takes care of his belongings. Jesus is saying the same basic thing in this passage. He points out that God takes care of the wild birds even though they don't work for it – and he beautifully clothes the flowers even though they do nothing to earn it.

If God takes care of his creation, Jesus says, won't he take care of his own children? Aren't we more precious to him than birds and flowers? Did God send his son to die for anything in creation other than us? So don't worry. Instead depend on God.

This doesn't mean we do not have to work to provide for ourselves. Paul, in fact, says if a man won't work, don't let him eat. What Jesus means is that we should not count on our own resourcefulness to provide for ourselves, but on God's grace. Pagans “run after” material things and food and water; God's children count on him to provide for their needs.

When we count on ourselves, we become full of worry. When we count on God, the worry subsides. When we worry, we tell God we do not trust him, but that we think we are smarter or stronger or better than him. And worrying only hurts us, it never helps anything. Instead of worrying about getting enough of what we need, let's concentrate on getting to know God. Focus on him each and every day and let him worry about your needs.

Anger Management

Ephesians 4: 25 – 32 (NIV): Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

It's okay to be angry, after all Jesus showed anger towards those who were misusing the temple, but it's not okay to stay mad. The word for anger in verse 31 means to carry a grudge. That's why Paul said not to let the sun go down while you are still angry. This, he says, gives the devil a foothold and may cause you to do something you'll regret.

And what we do with our anger matters. Paul says not to repay evil for evil. Jesus said to turn the other cheek if we are slapped. In other words, Jesus said not to hit back. This may mean physically, but often it means verbally – which is how adults are normally slapped. (Jesus is not talking about children on a playground, he's speaking to his followers who are striving to be like him.)

This doesn't mean we should let people run over us. It does not mean we allow people to harm us or our families. It's talking about forgiving. It's also talking about not holding grudges, getting even, and lowering ourselves to revenge. God forgave us and expects us to forgive others. The only comment Jesus made after he gave his model prayer is that we must forgive others since we have been forgiven.

In the course of normal human interaction, we will get our feelings hurt. No one is perfect and people will make us angry. How we handle that shows our true character. It sets us free to forgive others – to realize that we make mistakes too and yet we are forgiven. What a wonderful world it would be if we all forgave each other, just like God freely forgives us.

When we hurt someone, we need to apologize, but when someone apologizes to us, we need to forgive them. What if they won't apologize? That's between them and God. You forgive anyway. It may save your marriage or a friendship. It may just save your life. Oh, and don't bottle it up inside either; tell God about it and ask him to help you keep your cool. He has all the power you need to manage your anger.

Free Crab Tomorrow!

Psalm 119:105 (NIV): Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Matthew 6:33 – 34 (NIV): But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

When the writer of this Psalms calls God's word a “lamp to my feet and a light for my path”, we mustn't think of a modern flashlight that shines ahead into the darkness. This is referring to a foot lamp that you swung beside you that only illuminated your next step. Our hope for finding our way is found in God's word, but God wants us to take one step at a time and live one day at a time. We tend to want to know exactly what God is going to do in our future, but Jesus said to seek God and his kingdom today and let tomorrow worry about tomorrow.

This doesn't mean we do not plan for our future. In fact, planning to spend eternity with God in heaven is the most important decision we can make, but there is a difference between planning for tomorrow and living for tomorrow. If we continually wait for tomorrow to start living, we may not ever begin. There is a sign on the wall at Joe's Crab Shack in Dallas that says “Free Crab Tomorrow.” That is clever to me because you can't go in there tomorrow! If you try tomorrow, it will be today when you arrive. So, in a sense tomorrow never comes and that's what God knows. It's always today so we must live for today!

We can live for today knowing that we have a future. We can know that God will never leave us or forsake us. We can know that His word will light our path and direct us toward joy and righteousness. Worrying about tomorrow robs us of our joy and keeps us from being effective in our witness. It's easy to get into the habit of worrying, but God says take one step at a time and leave the worrying to him.

Seek to know God. Seek to know his word. Seek his kingdom, his will and his righteousness, and allow God to take care of us. One. Day. At. A. Time.

The Faith of a Child

Mark 10: 13 – 16 (NIV): People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

It's a beautiful image: Jesus taking children into his arms and blessing them. It was a common custom for Rabbis to place their hands on children and bless them, so people brought their children to Jesus for this. The disciples probably thought the children were pestering him and not worthy of his attention, but he used this occasion to teach us something.

We must remember that childhood was not a celebrated phase of life until the twentieth century. Before the movies, books, parties and toys we see today, children were mostly viewed as weaker workers. The disciples rebuked the parents for bringing their children to Jesus because they figured religion was for adults; Jesus assured them that his love and grace was for everyone, including children. In fact, it is critical that we introduce children to Jesus at an early age when they are still pliable and open. Statistically, if a person is not saved by age 18, it is rare that he ever will be.

It shouldn't surprise us, then, that Jesus said it is children who show us how to have true faith and how to enter his kingdom. In other words, we must have a child-like faith to be saved. What is a child-like faith? Children have a simple faith. Once a child learns he can trust you, he will continue to do so until you teach him otherwise. Adults tend to want to know what God has done for us lately. Children have a humble faith. They realize they need help. We cannot be saved until we come to the place where we realize we need God's grace for salvation. We cannot save ourselves by our works or goodness – we need God's help.

Children have a complete faith. Once you've earned their trust, they will give it freely and completely. Years ago, when my son was about two, I walked past him as he stood on an elevated deck in our backyard. Suddenly, he ran and jumped off the deck at me, knowing that if I didn't catch him he would crash to the ground. Yes, I caught him just like he knew I would. God wants us to run and jump into his arms, placing our complete trust in him. It is not a blind faith, but a complete, child-like faith that he requires.