By Pastor Greg
Linda went to the grocery store. She noticed a woman sitting in her car with her eyes closed and with her hands clasped behind her head. She appeared to be sleeping. When Linda came out a while later, she again saw the woman, her hands still behind her head but with her eyes wide open. The woman looked very strange, so Linda tapped on the window and said, "Are you okay?" The woman answered, "I've been shot in the head, and I am holding my brain in." Linda did not know what to do, so she ran into the store, where store officials called the paramedics. When they arrived, they found that the woman had bread dough on the back of her head and in her hands. A Pillsbury biscuit canister had exploded, apparently from the heat in the car, making a loud explosion like that of a gunshot, and hit her in the head. When she reached back to find what it was, she felt the dough and thought it was her brain. She passed out from fright at first, and then attempted to hold her brains in. They took her to a local hospital, where they treated her, shampooed her hair, and released her.
Sometimes things aren't nearly as bad as they may seem at the time. Sometimes we worry about the strangest things, like what might happen if we are traveling and can’t find a bathroom and our bladder explodes. Sometimes our imagination makes things far worse than they really are. Sometimes we spend half of our life worrying about things that will never happen. We worry, constantly.
As Christians, I think we know that we should not worry, but we do. The media does not help. It bombards us daily with things to worry about. It’s almost sickening. Muslim terrorists, global warming, government control, rising taxes, falling salaries, gun control, GMO foods, the disappearance of the bumble bee, whether the dress is white and gold or blue and black. I know they think they are keeping us informed, but more often than not, it simply adds fuel to our worries.
As we strive to walk more closely with God, Jesus teaches a valuable lesson that at first may seem to be rather simplistic. He talks about birds and flowers and clothing – things that cannot possibly be compared to the problems facing the world today. Yet, if we look closely, there is a deep truth in what he says.
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God* above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:25-34).
The lesson beneath what Jesus is saying here can be found in a few simple words. Worry and Faith. Do you want to know why you worry about things? Do you want to know why the latest scare causes you to lose sleep? Do you want to know why you fret and fret over the same things day and night? It is not the “things” that cause you to worry. You worry because that’s who you are. Events do not cause you to worry. You worry about events because you are a worrier, not a person controlled by faith.
Did you notice what Jesus said in this section? He wondered why people worried about food and money and clothing. It made no sense to Him. Since God looks at us as people of value, and since we are His treasure, why would we worry that He has abandoned us or would let us fail? Do we really think God does not care about us and for us? This is why Jesus wonders why we have such little faith in God (verse 30).
Think about this for a moment. As Christians, we are God’s children. God has purchased us; He has ransomed us. “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” (1 Peter 1:18-19). If God would make such a great sacrifice to ransom us, why would He then abandon us? If God felt we were worth the sacrifice of His Son, why do we worry that He would allow us to go naked and starve to death? Truthfully, when we worry about things we are telling God that we do not trust Him; that we don’t believe He cares for us or watches over us. Worry is an incredible insult to the Love of God.
The cure for anxiety and worry is not found in removing these things from our life. The cure is becoming a person of faith – a faith that understands our value in God’s eyes. However, this is a lesson that is learned the hard way. Letting go of worry is not an easy task. And I believe God provides us with opportunities to let go of worry and start believing in His love.
Perhaps you are facing one of those situations right now. You are facing some sort of crisis that has you worried. You simply do not know what to do. You are stressed. However, this is a tremendous opportunity to let go of your worry and place your faith in God; an opportunity for you to learn an incredible lesson about faith, and about the depth of the Father’s love for you. Let your heart be moved from worry to faith. Let go of your worry so you might see just how deep the Father’s love is for you.
Letting go is hard. I know. I’ve had to learn this lesson in my own life. Looking back, I wonder why I ever worried in the first place. I watched God orchestrate events that left me awestruck in wonder; wonder at the depth of His love, and wonder at my lack of faith. But I tell you the truth: once I was able to move from worry to faith, my walk with God has never been the same.
There is no greater lesson that we might learn than the lesson of God’s love for us. When we cannot do for ourselves – when the situation is beyond our control –to have God step in and provide is the greatest lesson we need to learn as we walk with God. It is not a miracle when God provides us with what we need. It is a demonstration of His love. When we know and believe and have faith in God’s love for us, worry and fear fade away.
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