I’ve made the observation that too many people today live in fear. Fear is prevalent in our lives for many reasons. Maybe it comes from some bad news being delivered from a medical exam or test, or too much time is spent listening to commentators on the news talking about the economy, or weathermen talking about weather changes or disasters, or impending war, or we look at our dwindling savings and wonder, or we worry about our marriage, or that family member or friend that seems determined to drink and drug themselves into a stupor; for whatever the reason, several billion people worry themselves sick on a daily basis.
I mean “sick” literally too, because anxiety is the number one sickness in the world and mega amounts of money are being spent trying to quell it by those seeking relief. I’ve never gone through a program for drugs or alcohol rehabilitation, but I’ve spoken at plenty of their fundraisers and to those attending and through the years I’ve researched the methods that they teach. One technique they all teach is for folks to take things “one day at a time”.
Hmmm…When one thinks about it, that comes directly out of the Bible and the mouth of Jesus: Matthew 6:34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today”. Jesus commanded that we are not to worry in a myriad of places throughout the Bible. There are many sins He could have warned us about in this fashion that He didn’t dwell on so much, so why did He spend so much effort on this one?
For one thing like any parent He wants us to stay optimistic and healthy and not be sick and depressed all of the time. Perhaps the most important reason though is that worry demonstrates our lack of faith. Worry is insulting to God who has promised time and again that He will always be with us throughout eternity and things will turn out swell. We should take Him at His word and that is called faith.
Matthew Henry wrote about this, and the essence of what he said made sense to me. He stated that folks should not worry about the cares of this life such as food and clothing such as obsess the poor, nor the love of wealth that obsess the rich.
Further we should not be obsessed with thoughts for our lives. We shouldn’t worry about the length of it, but refer it to God to lengthen or shorten it as He pleases; our times are in his hands, and they are in good hands. We should not worry about the comforts of this life; but should leave it to God to make it bitter or sweet as He pleases.
Take no thought for tomorrow, or for the time to come. Don’t be anxious for the future, how you shall live next year, or when you are old, or what you shall leave behind you. We have been commanded not to “boast” of tomorrow, so logically we must not “care” for tomorrow, or the events of it.
God has given us life, and has given us our bodies, but we should care most about our souls and eternity. Thoughtfulness for our souls is the best cure of thoughtfulness for the world. We should “Seek first the kingdom of God”, and make that our business. This is not the way to starvation; no, it is the way to be well provided for, (yes, even in this world).
The conclusion of the whole matter is, that it is the will and commands of the Lord Jesus, that by daily prayers we may get strength to bear us up under our daily troubles, and to arm us against worry, and then let none of these things move us.
Happy are those who trust in their Lord God. Doing so takes away the worldliness of our hearts. Keep in mind that mankind was created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin in hell, or with God (through forgiveness and salvation) in heaven. Heaven and hell are literal places of eternal existence for all human souls and we should think of them often.
Salvation is a gift from God to us. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works – only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can we be saved from sin’s penalty. Eternal life and being reconciled with God begins the moment we receive Jesus Christ into our lives through faith.
So if you believe the foregoing, there is nothing that this life can throw at us that we cannot defeat through the strength of Christ. Live in fear? Bah!
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through God who strengthens me.