Thought for the day
Overcoming Worry (part 3)
The story is told of a young man who was fresh out of business school. He was looking for a job and saw an ad in the newspaper for a small business needing an accountant. So he answered the ad and ended up going in for an interview with this very nervous man who was running this small business that he had started himself.
The man said, "I need someone with an accounting degree. But mostly I'm looking for someone to do my worrying for me."
The young man said, "Excuse me? I'm afraid I don't understand."
The owner said, "I worry about a lot of things, but I don't want to have to worry about money. Your job will be to take all the money worries off my back."
The young fellow said, "OK, I understand. And how much does the job pay?"
The owner said, "I'll start you at eighty thousand a year."
The young man was blown away. He said, "Eighty thousand dollars! How can such a small business afford a salary like that?"
The owner said "That is your first worry."
If I were to ask, "How many of you would like to learn how to worry more? How many of you feel that your life would be improved if only you could spend more time worrying about stuff?", I doubt if I would get any takers. We don't like to worry and we know that, just as Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, it doesn't do any good.
But Jesus gives us yet another reason why we shouldn't worry -- because worry demonstrates a lack of faith! "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 6:30)
Notice the phrase that Jesus uses here to describe people who worry -- "O you of little faith." It's important for us to understand that worry and faith are opposites. If you have faith, then you won't worry. If you worry, then you don't have sufficient faith. You may tell yourself, "I believe that God is able to take care of me". But something inside you whispers, "Hey, what if? What if it doesn't work out?" The seeds of doubt result in a harvest of worry.
Jesus makes the point in Matthew 6:32 that worry is characteristic of pagans ("after all these things the Gentiles seek"). It's normal for somebody who's not a Christian to sit around wringing his hands, worried about what might happen or what might not happen. You expect that from someone who's not a Christian because they don't have a trust that God will take care of them.
I would like to think that my children have never worried about whether or not they would have a bed to sleep in from week to week. They've never worried about whether or not there would be enough food for them to eat for supper. They've never worried about whether or not they would have clothes to wear. Why didn't they worry about those things? Because they had two parents who loved them and provided for them.
And if my kids got up one morning and said, "Dad, I couldn't sleep last night because I was afraid there wouldn't be anything to eat today," it would bother me. In fact, it might even anger me a little bit. "Suddenly, you think I'm not going to take care of you anymore? What's that all about?"I wonder if God feels the same way when we worry about stuff. The bottom line question when we're tempted to worry is this: "Do we truly believe that God will take care of us?"In the next daily e-mail, we'll look at what Jesus said we can do to overcome worry.
(to be continued)
Verses
Matthew 17:20
"You have so little faith," He told them. "I tell you the truth, if you have faith no bigger than a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Then you can do anything."
Acts 8:7
For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.
Romans 12:2
Adapt yourselves no longer to the pattern of this present world, but let your minds be remade and your whole nature thus transformed. Then you will be able to discern the will of God, and to know what is good, acceptable, and perfect.
1 Peter 3:7
In the same way, you husbands should live with your wives in an understanding way. You should show respect to them. They are weaker than you. But God gives them the same blessing that he gives you--the grace that gives true life. Do this so that nothing will stop your prayers.
2 Corinthians 9:11
You will get rich in everything so you can give generously in every way; through us this will make people thank God.
Prayer
Father, help us not to resent the storms of life or be fearful of their effects. Much like we prepare for a ravaging storm by anchoring valuables to a firm foundation, help us to anchor our hearts in the firm foundation of Your Word that will help us to withstand the testing’s and trials of life that are certain to come our way. Even as a ship is proven to be seaworthy over its lifetime, may our faith be proven trustworthy as we hold onto You, the Anchor for our soul. Amen.
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