What, me WORRY?

So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own

(Matthew 6:31-34


I have spent many nights worrying about things that were not really that important or I was afraid to leave in God's hands. That's not healthy for a strong Christian life.

Jesus suggests something different!

I focus my energy on seeking God.

I think a lot of  stress is really worry, and I usually worry about are the things I can't do much  about.
It's funny how I am, really; I worry most about what I can do the least about. Somehow, though, I seem to be under the impression that by obsessing over it and fretting about it, lying awake all night turning it over in my head, and driving everyone I know crazy endlessly retelling and rehashing it, I can somehow solve it.

That's why I don't like it that Jesus seems dismissive of the things that stress us. "Don't worry," he says, and being wired the way I am it's little wonder that my knee-jerk response is something along the lines of, "Yeah, right." I try to tune him out, because  he suggests is that worry is a theological problem. I worry, he claims, because the God I believe in isn't powerful enough or loving enough or concerned enough to watch over me.

Thankfully, he reminds me  the God I'm supposed to believe in is MY "heavenly Father," and that

he cares for ME!

Jesus suggests that I learn some life lessons from the birds and the grass. Neither are strong. Yet, God cares for them. The birds seem to have all they need to eat. They do what they do and live their lives, and God cares for them. 

"Are you not much more valuable to God?" Jesus asks us – who are made in his image, shaped by his hands. "Don't you think your Father in heaven will care for you at least that well?"

Instead of worry, Jesus suggests that I focus my energy on seeking God: his reign over my heart and life, his righteousness lived out in what I do and say. It's kind of a nice way, I think, of telling me to just try to do what God says and be the person he made me to be, and leave the planning to him. That's scary!.

 To live with joy and expectation and trust, instead of anxiety, worry, and gloom?

That's my prayer for a spirit filled life in Christ!