Wave Goodbye To Worry
By: Kristen L. McNulty
Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.
Worry. We can spend a lot of our time worrying. About loved ones, our education, careers, money, the future, the list of things we worry about is a long one.
Worry causes us to obsess about things that have not yet come to pass and think of all the ways it can all go wrong. Worry removes us from focusing on today and instead causes us to concentrate on a tomorrow that has not arrived yet. A tomorrow we have no way of actually knowing what it’s going to be like. Worrying makes sense to us as humans because we don’t have a magic eight ball that can tell us the future, but it actually makes no sense in the life of the believer. Why? Because as believers we don't get a preview of tomorrow, but we don't need to because we know that no matter what happens tomorrow, we will be taken care of. God doesn’t leave you and I alone to live our lives and handle the problems that come our way by ourselves. No, like an attentive father, he is invested in both our today and our tomorrow and will never leave us unprovided for.
Let’s take a look at what Jesus had to say on the subject in Matthew 6:25-30:
"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? 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? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 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, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 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?" Matthew 6:25-30 NLT
The Root of Worry
And that right there is the root of the problem of worry: a lack of faith. We worry because deep down we doubt if God will come through if a loved one gets sick or we lose our jobs or we face financial difficulties or if something happens to our homes. That lack of faith isn’t needed, because like Jesus said in these verses, if God tenderly provides for the birds and wonderfully cares for the wildflowers, how much more will He care for you and I? He comes through for all of His creation, us included. We don’t have to look very far to see the kind of care God provides for His people. We see it over and over again in the Bible.
God didn’t leave the nation of Israel to starve in the wilderness, even after they rebelled against Him and were constantly complaining. No, he provided manna from Heaven every morning to meet their need for food in a desolate place. (Exodus 16)
God didn’t leave the prophet Elijah hanging when his obedience to God caused him to become King Ahab’s public enemy #1. Instead God protected him in the wilderness and sent ravens to bring Elijah food twice a day like clockwork. Later when the water source Elijah was using dried up, God directed him to the home of a widow who, alongside her son, was on the brink of starvation and God provided food for them all. (1 Kings 17)
God didn't leave the crowd hungry when they gathered to hear Jesus speak. Instead turned five loaves and two fishes into enough food to feed over 5,000 people. (Matthew 14)
We Can Wave Goodbye To Worry
These are just a few accounts of how God provides for His people. He’s done it throughout history. He’s done it in the past in my life and in yours, so we need not doubt that He will take care of us in whatever circumstances tomorrow will bring. We can wave goodbye to worry when we increase our faith, knowing that God loves you and He loves me.
"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 NLT
Nothing can separate us from His love. Just like a good parent would never abandon their child, our Good Father and God will not leave us no matter what tomorrow brings. We know His character. Our salvation is a testament to His goodness. We can trust Him and when we do so fully, we will find there is little room left in our hearts for worry. So the next time you find yourself worrying, stop focusing on what tomorrow might bring and instead put your attention on recalling who God is and what He can do. Closing with a few more verses from Matthew 6 where Jesus said:
"So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:31-34 NLT
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