Worry

After covering the idea of riches and the corruption that they may have on the heart, the Lord then turns His focus to a more practical matter. It is true that not everyone will have the opportunity to worry about their riches, some may worry about their lack of riches. Worry is worry. To break it down, worry is a lack of faith; it is being so concerned of a certain situation that your focus (or singularity) is on the outcome rather than on the Lord. Don't misunderstand, I worry too. I do not have a job, I cannot pay my mortgage this month and bills are beginning to slowly add up. Am I worried? Yes, but I also know that the Lord in concerned for my well being and the well being of my family. I do serve a God who waits for the eleventh hour. I do have faith that no matter what the outcome is in His hands.

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" Matthew 6:25-26, NKJV

Have no worries about anything because life is truly more than food and the body is truly more than clothing. The Lord even brings about two examples about the Lord watching over His creation. The first example is with the sparrows. The do not sow seeds, they do not reap a harvest and they do not gather into storage. Their lack "work" in this area does not keep them from eating. I have tried my hardest, but I can never find an anorexic sparrow. They are all plump and happy. Then the Lord asks a rhetorical question. The truth is, we are more valuable than the sparrows. Jesus died for you and I, not for the birds of the air.

"Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" Matthew 6:27, NKJV

Again, another rhetorical question. The cubit is about eighteen inches. However, the word stature can speak of height or length of life. One can neither make himself taller nor lengthen his life. I feel the Lord was actually speaking of the latter. My opinion is solely based on the fact that worry produces stress and stress can shorten a life span. Stress can actually be very detrimental to a body. I recently found a website dealing with the subject at http://www.symptoms-of-stress.com and it goes into great detail about the effects of stress on the body.

"So why do you worry about your clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" Matthew 6:28-30, NKJV

Again, the Lord gives another example of the the care that He gives us. The lilies of the field are more beautiful than Solomon in all his glory. The lilies clothe the grass which is going to be cut down tomorrow. I think what the Lord is trying to get at is, why would He "waste" His time on the grass if He were not going to show us even more favor? The truth is that He wouldn't, remember He died for you and I, not the grass.

"Therefore do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." Matthew 6:31-32, NKJV

Equating worry to the desire of Gentiles is like equating our worry as believers to that of unbelievers. Unbelievers worry because they have no hope. If we then having a hope should not worry.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:33-34, NKJV

There needs to be a priority in life. I have found this to be a truism in my own life. After being fired from Denny's, I began a daily prayer with the Lord. In truth, my prayer life up till that point consisted of saying grace over my food. I was brought to a point of focus, of singularity in my life. My prayer life is not where I want it to be, but it is growing, it is becoming stronger. As a result I began a daily devotional and started attending church more often and am now serving as an usher. I began to seek the Lord first and trust in Him and seek His righteousness for my life.

Now I still do not have a job but I have no time to worry about if my time is consumed elsewhere.