I wish it were true to say I was a man of
faith that had no inclinations to excessively and needlessly worry at times
over a variety of situations that I have little (or no) ability to control the
outcome.
Matthew 6:25-34 (MSG) has always been the
Almighty’s prescription to prevent worry. Would you be a much happier person if
you made this scripture a reality? What’s preventing you from doing this?
“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows
that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the
clothes in your closet are in fashion.
There is far more to your life than the food you put in your
stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.
Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description,
careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by
so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it
makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into
the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you
ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in
the country look shabby alongside them.
If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most
of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in
you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to
not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving.
People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these
things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality,
God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all
your everyday human concerns will be met.
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and
don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help
you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
As a father, one thing
that is always source of concern for me is the well-being of my child. It’s at
those times when I think of both the positives (and negatives) in the life of
my adult daughter that I feel both pride (and fear over all that is beyond my
control).
At times, I also find
myself anxiously wondering if Allena will figure out her passion in life one
day. Does her future spouse exist? What character qualities will that person
have?
Will he find her unique
personality charming enough to start a family with? Will my daughter make a
good mother? Someday, will I get the opportunity to be a grandfather?
Will Allena’s relationship
with God be strong enough to sustain her through all life gives her? And the
concerns continue endlessly.
It’s at those times that I
hear the voice of God quiet me and whisper, “She was my daughter before I loaned
her to you (and Bobbi) to raise her for me. Do your best to trust my will. I know
her story from the beginning to the end.”
As in the post “Mother
Tongue,” the Johnson’s: For Every Wonder campaign tackled fatherhood with the
same emotional tenacity as they did motherhood.
This time fathers are
interacting with young children to an older teenager. The narrator is an unseen
child off camera. If you are a father, read these words. What important
feelings do they stir inside you?
“Be
prepared, Dad. I will change you. Change your goals to get you home earlier
every day. Sometimes, I will give you super powers. But sometimes I will make
you feel like the weakest man in the world.
I will
test your patience to make your heart softer, and your limits to make you
tougher. But I promise, Dad, it will be the greatest journey of your life.”
As I close this post, below are seven reminders
about not worrying taken from Matthew 6:25-34 (at the beginning of this post). Can
any of these be applied to you?
1. The same God that
created life in you can be trusted with the details of your life. (Matthew
6:25)
2. Worrying about the
future hampers your efforts for today. (Matthew 6:26)
3. Worrying is more harmful
than helpful. (Matthew 6:27)
4. God does not ignore
those who depend on Him. (Matthew 6:28-30)
5. Worry shows a lack of
faith in and understanding of God. (Matthew 6:31-32)
6. There are real
challenges God wants us to pursue, and worrying keeps us from them. (Matthew 6:33)
7. Living one day at a time
keeps us from being consumed with worry. (Matthew 6:34)*
*Taken from the article, “Seven Reasons Not
to Worry,” from The Life Application
Bible, New International Version edition.
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