Worriers all, part IV

Are you surprised?

Usually on Fridays, we have a musical selection to allow us time to stop, think, and pray. This week, we are continuing on with our important study of worrying.

In our verses for this week, Jesus noted some things that we should not worry about. Let's look at those today.

The first thing that He told us not to worry about . . . . uh oh, guilty as charged. He said not to worry about money!

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19)

Don't be anxious about our worldly possessions. That's a tough one, isn't it? We quite often are apprehensive about our finances. Can we pay our house payment? Can we make it one more month before we repair the car? Many today are saddled with debt, and many young people struggle to make payments on student loans. Fear of financial failure is very real for many of us today, and it's important to keep things in focus. We can make the best plans we can, and work hard, save carefully, but don't let worry about finances destroy our mental and emotional well-being.

Next, He told us to not worry about food (verse 25). Our situation today is so different than those folks to whom He spoke at the time; many of them had no idea where their next meal would come from, or when it would be! We have so many choices today, in our stuffed-full supermarkets! We no longer are concerned with what foods are in season or out of season, since our food can be brought into the stores from all over the world. We have such abundance; we are truly blessed. Today, our worries are often whether or not we are eating the "right" foods, or eating in the right proportions. As we have discussed before, it is good to take care of our bodies, for they are the temples of the Holy Spirit. Just don't agonize over things.

Jesus mentions worry about our bodies in verse 25, also.  It's wise to be careful to stay healthy, and to engage in exercises and activities that will keep us fit -- but there is something unbalanced about it when we spend a couple of hours in the gym, and only five minutes on our knees with our Father! We don't need to agonize over our shape; keeping healthy and in balance is more important.

Jesus knew us so well -- in verses 28 and 31, He says don't worry about our clothes. (Grin) For those He spoke to that day, the garment they were wearing was probably the only one they had. They definitely had to be careful not to rip or tear it, or wear it out. Today? Not so much. We spend our time wondering if we are wearing the "right" clothes. Is this gathering going to be "business casual?" Do these shoes clash with my outfit? Yes, being nicely groomed is an important part of our testimony, but being tormented about our clothing can stop us from noticing someone who needs our help.

Lastly, in verse 27, we noted before that He asked which of us could add even one hour to our lives by worrying . . . in other words, don't be anxious about the future. It's human nature, I guess, to be wary of death. Some are terrified of the thought. Some are just as terrified of the process of aging . . . they search the mirror each day for new wrinkles, and worry about the color of their hair. They sink huge amounts of money into serums and surgeries, in order to look younger. They don't want to tell people which birthday they are celebrating, either. They are worried about the future, the here-after, which seems to them to be coming toward them at an accelerated pace.

All of these are things that Jesus told us not to worry about.
We noted one day this week, that worry is actually symptomatic of a lack of faith, a shortage of trust in our Father. I'm talking just as much to myself as to anyone else! Next week, we'll work on a Biblical cure for worry. Hope you will join us again.