- Scripture:
Irresponsible Worry
Has anyone changed anything 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.
Matthew 6:27–29 MSG
- Reflection:
Why do we worry about the things we can't change? Then things we can; we half-heartedly try to change them with little effort and no responsibility. We have habits that are looking for the big and shiny things. God, though, wants to see how you work with little before you get the shiny and important. If you can't run your life with little, then why would he place you in charge of so much? Worry kills the spirit and the blessings that are to come your way. That's why I say it is irresponsible to worry at all.
Where do we go from here?
Letting go of worry is tough. You must approach it not only intellectually but practically, too. You cannot simply command yourself to “worry less.” That, by itself, doesn’t work so well. You must get practical by actually talking about worries with a spouse, a friend, or brothers in the community. That does work (2 Corinthians 12:9). Getting your worries out into the open is as powerful as it is counterintuitive. So, brother, defy your instincts.
Our Prayer for Today
Father, thank you for giving to us freely your love and courage, even though we may not use it as purposed. As we all find our ways in the Kingdom, it is a blessing to know that your son, our King, gave himself for all of us. His flesh may have been weak at the moment, but the part of you in him took away that worry of what was to come. We have that same build within us as well; allow us to touch into that a lot more by honoring the Kingdom. Amen.