Jesus asks this in Matthew. I love it, it's like a rhetorical challenge that no one can beat.
Él habla mi lingua.
This passage overarches everything, but in its transcendental Biblical way, the details cover things that people today (me) are especially concerned with:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear."
Who knew Biblical characters were so hip and bothered by the very same things our enemy distracts us with?
Seriously though, if I have learned anything over the last year now, it's to trust God.
I am not done learning, not even close, but I've obtained a somewhat whimsical manner of things that would have looked like a tie on a penguin, on me last year.
A friend of mine came over last night and somehow we ended up talking about this Matthew passage that shook her.
I kept reading it last night to drill it in.
However I found it so amazing from the start that repetition couldn't have added much more power, only memory.
Jesus says worry is a pagan behavior.
I read an Anne Lamott book where she said courage is fear that has said its prayers.
Both of these convict me at my core, my controlling, compulsive core.
The thing is, I don't actually worry about clothes or my body.
I worry about "real problems" of course; the future, finances, tying-up loose ends, my life's purpose.
And what I'm not worried about, I take for granted because they have already been provided for me; food, a home. ... And all of the above are on our list. Shoot!
This is definitely one of those times in the Bible where our lesson isn't easy, but it's incredibly simple.
Don't worry.
"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 of 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." Matt 6:32
Okay Jesus, I'm listening.
No comments:
Post a Comment