What's not to worry about? Unemployment and a shrinking economy strike fear in the hearts of many who face an uncertain future. How could an admonition NOT to worry have any basis in present reality?
"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? " (Matthew 6:25)
These sound like the words of a carefree spirit whose needs are met through a rich benefactor. If we weren't certain of their source, we might attribute them to a wealth entrepreneur or investor. But, they are the words of a man who had nowhere to lay his head (Matthew 8:20).
How is it possible to live life without a concern for food, drink, clothing, and shelter? Or, is that what Jesus truly meant?
The key word is "worry", and it literally means "anxious, distracted care." In other words, an obsession with daily needs such that we are distracted from other priorities. Concern, however, directs us to responsible work and planning so that daily needs are met. As we read in 2 Thessalonians, "Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread." (2 Thessalonians 3:12)
Jesus' words not to worry are based on a previous statement: "For this reason". This previous statement is that "No one can serve two masters ; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. " (Matthew 6:24). The real issue is concerning who and what owns us. If our heart is owned by the world, then we will have an anxious, distracted care for the things of the world. If our heart belongs to the Lord, our perspective will be that life is much more than these things that people of the world obsess over.
Few words are as challenging as these to those who live in an affluent society, as many, if not most of us do. Sophisticated advertizing and societal pressure assert that luxuries are to be deemed necessities, regardless of financial consequences. These tactics have effectively created the devastating economic circumstances we presently live with. We are a society, not so much driven by the pursuit of necessities, but rather luxuries. A sense of entitlement motivates far too many people to unswervingly pursue "the good life" to the detriment of spiritual values and priorities.
The absolute cure for misplaced material priorities is Jesus' famous admonition to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33). Undue worry and concern for daily needs can only be abated through a redirected focus on the realm of the reign of God, who richly and freely supplies what many untiringly pursue.
May the Kingdom priority override our daily worries and concerns.
Steve
"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? " (Matthew 6:25)
These sound like the words of a carefree spirit whose needs are met through a rich benefactor. If we weren't certain of their source, we might attribute them to a wealth entrepreneur or investor. But, they are the words of a man who had nowhere to lay his head (Matthew 8:20).
How is it possible to live life without a concern for food, drink, clothing, and shelter? Or, is that what Jesus truly meant?
The key word is "worry", and it literally means "anxious, distracted care." In other words, an obsession with daily needs such that we are distracted from other priorities. Concern, however, directs us to responsible work and planning so that daily needs are met. As we read in 2 Thessalonians, "Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread." (2 Thessalonians 3:12)
Jesus' words not to worry are based on a previous statement: "For this reason". This previous statement is that "No one can serve two masters ; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. " (Matthew 6:24). The real issue is concerning who and what owns us. If our heart is owned by the world, then we will have an anxious, distracted care for the things of the world. If our heart belongs to the Lord, our perspective will be that life is much more than these things that people of the world obsess over.
Few words are as challenging as these to those who live in an affluent society, as many, if not most of us do. Sophisticated advertizing and societal pressure assert that luxuries are to be deemed necessities, regardless of financial consequences. These tactics have effectively created the devastating economic circumstances we presently live with. We are a society, not so much driven by the pursuit of necessities, but rather luxuries. A sense of entitlement motivates far too many people to unswervingly pursue "the good life" to the detriment of spiritual values and priorities.
The absolute cure for misplaced material priorities is Jesus' famous admonition to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33). Undue worry and concern for daily needs can only be abated through a redirected focus on the realm of the reign of God, who richly and freely supplies what many untiringly pursue.
May the Kingdom priority override our daily worries and concerns.
Steve
posted by steve @ 7:49 AM
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