Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Most people probably look back at their childhood and think of the carefree days of living. Especially in the summer months when you can chase after the ice cream truck, ride your bike until the streetlights come on, go down to the pool with your friends, and sleep in all day long just to wake up in the afternoon and then stay up late all night.
I have some great memories of doing that as a child, but more often than not, I actually grew up a very anxious child. I was ruled by Murphy's Law. I always felt like if something could go wrong, it probably would go wrong. I always looked for the holes in plans and always thought negatively about what might happen in life.
That's still a struggle that I deal with today. Some people might call that being pragmatic, but in reality, if we're not careful, at best it becomes pessimism and at worst it becomes an incredible lack of faith in God. I want us to turn to our verse today to hear what Jesus has to say about worry.
What Jesus Says About Worry
From Matthew chapter 6, verse 34, Jesus says, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." Jesus says these words as He's speaking the Sermon on the Mount, and the Sermon on the Mount lays out what it looks like to live as a Kingdom citizen. As Jesus calls people to this extreme way of living, to give everything over to God and trust Him in the process, He addresses a very real issue that people have when they're called to give everything to the Lord, which is this idea of worry.
He encourages them to look at the fields and see how they're clothed in more splendor than even Solomon, in all of his glory and grandeur. He calls us to look at the birds of the air, to see how they don't have storehouses, but the Lord will feed them, and to consider that He cares for us even more, so what would we have to worry about?
The Problem with Worry
That still leaves us on days where we are worrying, where we are distracted, where we're taking things into control and putting things in our own hands. God doesn't want us to worry because it pulls our eyes away from His goodness. It becomes a barrier to living on mission for Him, and prevents us from serving others openly and selflessly in the way that He's called us to.
It's important when we look at this verse, when Jesus calls us not to worry, He's not just telling us to go and try to not worry. When you hear these words, “don't worry,” my guess is you still have worry. What, then, is Jesus telling us to do?
Replace Worry with Trust
Jesus is telling us that we need to replace our worry with something better. We need to replace it with trust. He's not saying just worry throughout the next 24 hours and then tomorrow you can worry about some new things. He's saying, take today and practice giving your worries to God. Let Him take those burdens off your shoulders because they're not yours to carry. Don't think about tomorrow because the list is going to start to get long and it's going to feel like too much, but it's not too much for God.
Let's just start with today. Let's bring our worries before the God who cares. Let's trust deeply in Him as Jesus gives us peace, as our hearts and our minds are guarded in Him.
