Matthew 6:25-34
http://biblehub.com/parallelgospels/The_Sermon_on_the_Mount.htm
Stress is the cause of many of the illnesses that inflict
our bodies today. Anxiety has become a
normal way of life while peace and tranquility seem to be myths. Busy schedules are equated with godliness;
while a relaxed schedule is associated with laziness. As I observe my own life and the lives of
many around me, I think that we are far too frantic. We rush from here to there
with our schedules full of activity and our minds full of anxiety. Life seems
too full of hurry and worry. Jesus has a different plan. In this text, He
starts out by giving us two reasons why we should not live this way and then He
tells us two ways we can stop.
WHY NOT WORRY:
Obey God's Command. We should not worry because God has commanded us not to worry. He knows that it is a waste of time and energy. Worry saps our strength and keeps us from rejoicing in our relationship with God. It reveals pride and a lack of gratitude in our hearts. God's command is clear: "Do not be worried about your life." The most common thing we worry about is money and the things money can buy. In the previous passage, we see that it is impossible to serve two masters. Worry is a clear indicator that money has become a master in our hearts. Idolatry is a word we usually associate with paganism and false religions. However, idolatry is a sin that constantly creeps into our hearts because God created us to be worshipers. John Calvin said that “the heart of man is an idol factory.” Worry reveals that something or someone has become an idol in our hearts.
Observe God's Creation. Jesus gives three illustrations from creation to convince us that it does not make sense to worry. The first is the birds. We should not worry because we can clearly see how He provides for and watches over the birds. Birds don’t plant food but God provides for them abundantly. We are clearly more valuable in the sight of God than birds so it only makes sense to trust God to provide for us. The second illustration is our own bodies and the way they grow. We can’t make ourselves grow. Growth is a natural process that occurs over time. Diet, rest and exercise may contribute to our growth but worry does not. Worry is an exercise in futility that does much more harm than good. The third illustration is the flowers of the field. Their life span is very short but God still dresses them beautifully. Not even Solomon with all of his gold dressed as beautifully as God dresses the flowers. God controls and cares for even the most insignificant parts of His creation. The birds eat bountifully and the flowers dress beautifully under Gods loving care and provision. Surely, He will do the same for us who are created in His own image.
HOW TO STOP WORRY:
Trust God's Provision. We worry because we fail to trust God fully. Either we think that He is too busy to take notice of our needs or incapable of meeting our needs. Both thoughts are wrong and must be corrected in our hearts. Jesus assures us that God knows our needs. After all, He is the one who created us with those needs. God’s power is limitless as He has demonstrated time and time again. He loves us intensely, knows us intimately, cares for us individually and has the power to provide all of our needs immensely. We can trust Him. God does not depend upon us to accomplish His will, but He takes great delight when we demonstrate our dependence upon Him. God has told us to simply turn our troubles over to Him and trust. He has all that He needs to provide all that we need and He wants us to rest in that truth.
Try God's Priorities. We worry because we fear that our plans and dreams might fail. Therein lies the problem. We are not called to fulfill our agenda but to live, suffer and, if needs be, die in order to promote the glory of God. God's kingdom is to be our priority in life. Unbelievers are fixated on the affairs of this world because they don’t know and trust God. Disciples of Jesus are not to live as functional atheists. If we claim to know God and we are truly convinced of His sovereignty; we will recognize that all our circumstances are by His grace and for His glory. We can rejoice and rest in that truth so there is no need for hurry or worry. We can focus on advancing His kingdom and obeying His commandments as our priorities in life. God has promised to graciously and abundantly provide for all the needs of those who order their lives according to His priorities and not our own. We don’t need to make big and elaborate plans as to how we will promote God’s kingdom. He simply calls us to live each moment of every day focused on His mission. When we accept the responsibility of obedience; He assumes the responsibility of provision.
WHY NOT WORRY:
Obey God's Command. We should not worry because God has commanded us not to worry. He knows that it is a waste of time and energy. Worry saps our strength and keeps us from rejoicing in our relationship with God. It reveals pride and a lack of gratitude in our hearts. God's command is clear: "Do not be worried about your life." The most common thing we worry about is money and the things money can buy. In the previous passage, we see that it is impossible to serve two masters. Worry is a clear indicator that money has become a master in our hearts. Idolatry is a word we usually associate with paganism and false religions. However, idolatry is a sin that constantly creeps into our hearts because God created us to be worshipers. John Calvin said that “the heart of man is an idol factory.” Worry reveals that something or someone has become an idol in our hearts.
Observe God's Creation. Jesus gives three illustrations from creation to convince us that it does not make sense to worry. The first is the birds. We should not worry because we can clearly see how He provides for and watches over the birds. Birds don’t plant food but God provides for them abundantly. We are clearly more valuable in the sight of God than birds so it only makes sense to trust God to provide for us. The second illustration is our own bodies and the way they grow. We can’t make ourselves grow. Growth is a natural process that occurs over time. Diet, rest and exercise may contribute to our growth but worry does not. Worry is an exercise in futility that does much more harm than good. The third illustration is the flowers of the field. Their life span is very short but God still dresses them beautifully. Not even Solomon with all of his gold dressed as beautifully as God dresses the flowers. God controls and cares for even the most insignificant parts of His creation. The birds eat bountifully and the flowers dress beautifully under Gods loving care and provision. Surely, He will do the same for us who are created in His own image.
HOW TO STOP WORRY:
Trust God's Provision. We worry because we fail to trust God fully. Either we think that He is too busy to take notice of our needs or incapable of meeting our needs. Both thoughts are wrong and must be corrected in our hearts. Jesus assures us that God knows our needs. After all, He is the one who created us with those needs. God’s power is limitless as He has demonstrated time and time again. He loves us intensely, knows us intimately, cares for us individually and has the power to provide all of our needs immensely. We can trust Him. God does not depend upon us to accomplish His will, but He takes great delight when we demonstrate our dependence upon Him. God has told us to simply turn our troubles over to Him and trust. He has all that He needs to provide all that we need and He wants us to rest in that truth.
Try God's Priorities. We worry because we fear that our plans and dreams might fail. Therein lies the problem. We are not called to fulfill our agenda but to live, suffer and, if needs be, die in order to promote the glory of God. God's kingdom is to be our priority in life. Unbelievers are fixated on the affairs of this world because they don’t know and trust God. Disciples of Jesus are not to live as functional atheists. If we claim to know God and we are truly convinced of His sovereignty; we will recognize that all our circumstances are by His grace and for His glory. We can rejoice and rest in that truth so there is no need for hurry or worry. We can focus on advancing His kingdom and obeying His commandments as our priorities in life. God has promised to graciously and abundantly provide for all the needs of those who order their lives according to His priorities and not our own. We don’t need to make big and elaborate plans as to how we will promote God’s kingdom. He simply calls us to live each moment of every day focused on His mission. When we accept the responsibility of obedience; He assumes the responsibility of provision.
APPLICATION: Use
the presence of anxiety in our lives as a reminder to examine our hearts for
idolatry. Recognize the provisions of
God in nature and simply trust Him to nurture us in a similar manner. Confess worry as the sin of unbelief. Conquer worry by concentrating on what God
has commissioned His disciples to do and how He has commanded us to live. Enjoy serving God today and entrust tomorrow
to the care of God.
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