Image by Bessi from Pixabay
Welcome back to Time in the Word. Do you find yourself worrying? I am challenged by Jesus’s words, “Do not worry…”, are you? Today we will discover why we worry and what Jesus says about not worrying.
We will be reading from the book of Matthew, chapter 6, verses 25-34. You can catch this digitally here. Grab a pen and paper to take notes.
Jesus knew that we would face the temptation to worry. So, he made sure to talk about three main areas we would worry about in daily life. They were: your life, food/drink, and clothing.
Why we worry
If I asked you why you worry, what would your response be? I bet you’d say that worrying meant you were attending to that worry item mentally. Maybe, in some way, it was soothing your conscious? Have you ever thought, “If I don’t worry about this, it means I don’t care about it?”
We worry because we want to control. I can remember as a little kid watching my dad have diabetic emergencies. Episodes of diabetic highs and lows were a common occurrence because of the poor care and management of his diabetes. The lows were frightening as sometimes he would get angry, yell, curse, and occasionally become violent.
As a child, I didn’t understand that my anxiety over what might happen during those episodes created a need to control the outcome. Can you relate?
Three reasons not to worry
Jesus was very clear about why we should not worry. He wants us to evalute what we value in our life. We should not put our trust in the money we earn or the material items we own to live our life.
Real life comes from a relationship with God. He is the center. When we walk in his ways, we have joy and peace.
Another reason Jesus told us not to worry was that worry destroys our physical and mental well-being. When do you worry, how do you feel? Worry does not provide us any comfort. It zaps you of your strength. If taken too far, worry will make you physically ill- ulcers, depression, and emotional instability.
Lastly, worry erodes our faith. It tells God we don’t trust him with our life. Our worry makes us focus on that one thing, and we forget that our life here is but a moment compared to the eternity that awaits.
God is in charge
God is a big God. If birds and animals trust him daily for their food, how much greater will he provide for us? If flowers are so beautifully adorned, why would he not see to our clothing? We were created for God’s great purpose. Why would he not bless you with the mind and tools to do his will?
Friends, if he failed to do that for any of us, he would not be God, and we know God never fails.
Thank you for joining me here in Time in the Word.
Michele Bruxvoort is sure to draw you in with her delightful sense of humor and love for living life. She enjoys reading, repurposing, as well as remodeling the family home with her husband. Drawing from her life experience as wife, mom, and follower of Jesus, Michele brings you a very honest and real perspective on life. When you don’t find her writing, you can find her mowing lawns, stocking shelves, taking care of her grandbaby and tackling her latest life adventure.
Wisconsin native and empty-nester, she now makes her home with her husband of 27 years in the South West Prairie plains of Minnesota.
