Anxiety-free people!
Worry, is a word we sometimes wish was not a part of our vocabulary. There are words that by definition move to the front of the line, words we more than like, we love. God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, family, friends, love, kindness, trust, provision, purpose, joy , laughter, tenderness.
I could go on…but worry….back of the line if you please…and take discouragement and fear with you!
Worry, wants to be included, in our thoughts, in our conversations, and often is demanding and downright rude, interrupting a perfectly good day or evening, thoughts that lift, and fill us with hope….are often forcibly shoved aside so that "you know who" can get some attention!
Worry, is an insult to God! Worry grabs tomorrow’s clouds and covers today’s sunshine! I have used phrases like these for years, and I believe they are absolutely true, yet worry is tenacious, worry is persistent….and worry is a chief tool of a very real enemy, who wants you to doubt the goodness of God!
Worry wants you to forget the countless ways God has made away for you in the past….wants you to have “Spiritual Amnesia” so that you will doubt God’s nearness, and ability in a world of so many, to take care of you.
I know this is in many ways a dangerous world, a hard place to live…earthquakes can in a moments time claim the life of thousands, job loss can leave one feeling hopeless and afraid. Amidst all of life’s uncertainties there are the promises of God’s Word:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6).
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. (Matthew 6: 25-33).
Pastor John Piper provides some much needed perspective:
The main point of all this is clear and unmistakable: Jesus does not want his followers to be anxious. He does not secure his kingdom by keeping his subjects in a state of worry. On the contrary, according to verse 33, the more primary, the more central his kingship becomes in our lives, the less anxiety we will have. Jesus came, lived, died, rose from the dead, in order that he might reign as King over an anxiety-free people.
So come to Jesus. Forsake all other allegiances. Take your vow of loyalty to the King of kings. And seek first in all you do to make known his kingship over your life. This and this alone is the way to freedom from anxiety.
After all, His eye is on the sparrow....and I know he watches me...
What a great post! Thanks Dad :) I needed that.
ReplyDeleteGreat Blog. Worry, indeed trys to "cut line." We have to constantly refocus our attention on the Christ of God who for us took worry out of our life's vocabulary. The Christian life is called "warfare" for a good reason."
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I shared with some of my prayer pardors about your blog. If you would, e-mail me some more info about your ministry, location, needs, etc. We will be praying for you and your church.