Read Matthew 6:25-34
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”—Matthew 6:33
It’s the dawn of a new day and a new year. New beginnings propel us to hope for more, better and greater in life. The future is brimming with promise and beckoning us to pursue goals and dreams. Yet, even on this horizon full of potential, some are already burdened by fear and anxiety about the future.
In today’s reading, Jesus talks about worry. Worry isn’t listed as one of the Ten Commandments, but it’s possibly the most paralyzing sin of all: Constant efforts to orchestrate every aspect and detail of life in advance. Perpetual focus on what we don’t have and how can we obtain it. Calculating the second and third order effects of every action and decision for ourselves and everyone else. All these are heavy, all-consuming tasks beyond our control.
Human nature tells us to worry about our basic needs, be fretful about our plans, and control our own destinies. But Jesus reminds us God is fully aware of our every need, desire and plan for the future. Trust Him to fulfill those. Focus on trusting God’s Word and aligning our purpose to pursuing the righteousness of God in our lives. Therein lies what we can address: The priorities we set for our lives and how we respond to what comes our way each day. Worry doesn’t fix anything; it convinces us to trust ourselves to do what only God can do, chart our future.
Matthew 6:34 reminds us: “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (New American Standard). You have to admit, that’s some pretty good advice. So when it comes to worry, today is the perfect day to procrastinate. Let’s just focus on God’s righteousness today and do the worrying tomorrow…
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”—Philippians 4:6
Interesting, today be joyful and worry tomorrow. Many would find that a difficult task indeed. I often tell friends and love ones to live stress free, “don’t worry about it” or “forget about it” nonetheless they do the opposite. My favorite saying is, whatever you allow to consistently occupy your thoughts will magnify in your life” Frederick Douglas– Trust in the lord, lay your burdens on thee and go about your business and do Gods work.