Don't Worry--God's Got This!
This is Day 9 of my 40 day Lenten Blog.
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, not about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" (Matt 6:25).
Of all of Christ's commandments I find His commandment not to worry or be anxious to be the most difficult. Moral commandments such as do not murder or steal or commit adultery are pretty easy to obey. And even the more difficult ones like the prohibition on unrighteous anger or gossip can be accomplished. I have even managed to love my enemies at times (yeah there are a couple I'm still working on). But I struggle with letting go of worry.
So how do I get rid of my worry? The answer is obvious, if not easy to achieve--trust in God. I must trust that God has got this. As Jesus tells us, God takes care of the birds and the flowers, and He loves me way more than He loves them. That sounds really good, but if I'm being honest that knowledge doesn't really help my worry. I have to be proactive. So what do I do when God appears to be saying that I don't need to be proactive because He's got it all under control, yet, if I am not proactive my worry will only increase. Fortunately Jesus tells us what we can do--seek God.
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matt. 6:33). Like a kid whose mom told him to clean his room and she'll take him for ice cream, if I seek above all things to be close to God, to do His will, and make it into Heaven, He will give me everything I need. To say it a different way--we normally put our needs (and the needs of our family) first. But Jesus tells us to put God first and then He will take care of our needs. But to clarify, that doesn't mean we get to just sit around while manna falls from the sky. The birds work very hard for their food. And we must work hard, too. We just don't need to worry if we'll have enough, because if we seek Him first, God will make sure that we do.
Today's prayer:
God, thank You for always supplying all of my needs. Help me to put my worries aside and trust in Your power and goodness. Help me to always seek You first.
R.C. VanLandingham is the author of the Christian fantasy novel Peter Puckett & The Amulet of Eternity. He lives in Florida with his beautiful wife and three wonderful boys.