Worry, worry, worry

I am so thankful that "All things were made through Him," John 1:3. That means my God is sufficient and able to do all things. Wow! What a truth.

This past week I've been continuing my study on the Sermon on the Mount from Matt. 5-7. Jesus challenges those listening, inlcuding his disciples, about what true righteousness looks like in contrast to righteousness for the sake of appearance. We may not have pharisees today (the religious leaders who were hooked on rule books), but it's still so easy for us to fall into "check list living" in order to make ourselves feel better, usually while making everyone else look shabby in comparison. It gives us a false sense of spirituality & creates the depth of a flip flop, when it should be a stiletto ... I'll bet the pharisees weren't thinking in those terms. :)

Jesus spends the first parts of the Sermon talking about where REAL devotion to God comes from & what it looks like. About this time, I'm guessing that any pharisees in the crowd were wondering, "Now, why am I dressed in this hot get-up?" They certainly turned heads in the crowd, but their own hearts hadn't turned, and that was the kicker.

Towards the end of chapter 6 Jesus deals with the issue of what we love. The pharisees were in love with the LAW, but Jesus longs for us to be in love with Him. They were in love with the way they worshiped and where they worshiped and their position in their temple, but their hearts were their own (try to see that in 2009 language). This time of year we have a tendency to stock up our earthly pantries and layaway loads for Christmas, even knowing it's all going to go the way of the dry Christmas tree one day - poof. It's not wrong to have "things", but He doesn't want us to LOVE things. Instead, Jesus wants us to be passionate about things the heavenly.

So what does LOVE have to do with worry? Well, if we love the Heavenly, then we put our trust there. "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also," Matt. 6:21. If we trust it, we love it. If we love it, we trust it. That goes for our Spanks ;), our 401K, our extended dishwasher warranty, our life coach, our family traditions, our _______. You fill in the blank. If it's on earth, girls, it won't last, no matter how much we "love" and trust it. Only God is worthy of our trust, our dependence. That makes Him the only true treasure.

So, worry? Worry is when we don't trust that God is and will be Who He says He is. We take on our own burdens, out of fear and uncertainty that He just isn't "up to it." Is He truly Jehovah Rapha our Healer? Truly Jehovah Jireh our Provider? Truly Jehovah Shamma our Peace? Truly Adonai our Lord?

Next time I start to say, "I'm just really worried about ..." I'm going to be HONEST and say, "I'm really struggling to trust God about ..." That sheds a little more light on my heart.

It's too bad. I'm so good at worrying. It's a skill passed down through the generations. ;) I've spent so much time perfecting it. I can even do it so that I get a physical reaction like stomach pain or insomnia or pimples. :) Are you that good? Jesus says in v. 25 "do not worry about your life," and then goes on to get specific: food, clothing, health. He even reminds me I can't add days to my life by worrying. He tells me He takes care of tiny birds, so He'll do even more for me, His beloved. He tells me, "do not worry about tomorrow," the future. I had big plans for all that I was going to worry about the future. What will I do with all that time I'm going to save?

Jesus told the crowd on the hillside the Gentiles (those who don't know & follow Him) seek the worldly things of temporary life as most important, but He tells us, His followers, to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness," (not like pharisee righteousness) promising my needs will be met WHEN I seek Him first.

If you're getting paid tomorrow or are going to be with family next week or are traveling far or nursing sick children or .... whatever you are doing ... "do not worry about your life." "For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things," Matt. 6:32.

Can you hear that? It was me breathing a big sigh of relief that I don't need to worry. Go ahead. You breathe one, too. :)