A phrase I have heard more often in recent years is "No Worries." I don't know if it is a hang on from The Lion King's "Hakuna Matata" or from the Australian culture, but it is growing in popularity. For a people with this new phrase, we spend a lot of our time doing just that... "WORRYING."
Matthew 6:25-34
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.
In a country with so much plenty, we may find that we do not worry about these particular things in our lives. Food and Clothing are still a basic necessity, but we have replaced these things with other things to worry about. We forget the first line which says, "Do not worry about your life." Whatever the needs are God cares for you and will make sure you have what you need to live the life he has planned.
Maybe the verse could tell us to not worry about your job or not to worry about school. Maybe it could say do not worry about your family or not worry about where you will live. Most would consider these things as very important need in our lives as well. How much time do we spend worrying when it does not good?
Why do we worry? Maybe its because there are certain things that we consider important and rightly so. There come times, however, that we see circumstances that threaten our ability to have these things. We worry when we believe that we will not be able to provide these necessities through our own efforts. That means we have been trusting that our own efforts will bring the things we need. And there is the problem. Who do we trust to provide for our needs? Ourselves? Often there is nothing that we can do about the situation under our own power. We worry and can not add a single thing to solving the problem. Many times that is when we realize that we have been relying on the wrong power. I know God does not normally cause food, clothing, and houses to drop from the sky. He usually provides ways for us to grow or purchase food, build or purchase a house, or provides a job to obtain funds for these things. He does this because at the same time he is leading us to learn and grow and draw closer to that which is most important... our relationship with and knowledge of Him. Can God miraculously bring food from the sky? Just ask Moses and the Israelites who were knee deep in quail and manna. Just ask Elijah who was fed by Ravens. Can he miraculously provide shelter? Just ask Jonah who had a vine grow up to protect him from the sun? There is no end to God's ability to provide for us. But if we are trusting in ourselves instead of Him, there is a bigger problem... our relationship and priorities.
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.
Seek His Kingdom... God's Plan not our Plan
Seek His Righteousness... Surrender our will to His and rest in God's Presence and Peace
Then let God provide and rely on him by stepping back and NOT relying on ourselves. God will bring us what we need today and tomorrow to survive in this troubled world and survive in a great and mighty way... that we may have life and have it in abundance.
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.
In a country with so much plenty, we may find that we do not worry about these particular things in our lives. Food and Clothing are still a basic necessity, but we have replaced these things with other things to worry about. We forget the first line which says, "Do not worry about your life." Whatever the needs are God cares for you and will make sure you have what you need to live the life he has planned.
Maybe the verse could tell us to not worry about your job or not to worry about school. Maybe it could say do not worry about your family or not worry about where you will live. Most would consider these things as very important need in our lives as well. How much time do we spend worrying when it does not good?
Why do we worry? Maybe its because there are certain things that we consider important and rightly so. There come times, however, that we see circumstances that threaten our ability to have these things. We worry when we believe that we will not be able to provide these necessities through our own efforts. That means we have been trusting that our own efforts will bring the things we need. And there is the problem. Who do we trust to provide for our needs? Ourselves? Often there is nothing that we can do about the situation under our own power. We worry and can not add a single thing to solving the problem. Many times that is when we realize that we have been relying on the wrong power. I know God does not normally cause food, clothing, and houses to drop from the sky. He usually provides ways for us to grow or purchase food, build or purchase a house, or provides a job to obtain funds for these things. He does this because at the same time he is leading us to learn and grow and draw closer to that which is most important... our relationship with and knowledge of Him. Can God miraculously bring food from the sky? Just ask Moses and the Israelites who were knee deep in quail and manna. Just ask Elijah who was fed by Ravens. Can he miraculously provide shelter? Just ask Jonah who had a vine grow up to protect him from the sun? There is no end to God's ability to provide for us. But if we are trusting in ourselves instead of Him, there is a bigger problem... our relationship and priorities.
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.
Seek His Kingdom... God's Plan not our Plan
Seek His Righteousness... Surrender our will to His and rest in God's Presence and Peace
Then let God provide and rely on him by stepping back and NOT relying on ourselves. God will bring us what we need today and tomorrow to survive in this troubled world and survive in a great and mighty way... that we may have life and have it in abundance.
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