Daily Thoughts - The Problem With Worry

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:27)

It would be understandable if by worrying things were improved. If it made a positive difference it would be alright. It’s appreciated that there maybe a lot of important things to worry about – food, clothes, mortgage/rent, relationships, work, money, society, crime, terrorism, football results. The problem with worry is it does nothing to help the situation. In fact it only makes matters worse by clouding our perspective on how things are. We can miss the important things in life because we’re busy worrying about something we can do nothing about. So if it’s not going to help, why do it?

The challenge that Jesus offers in this passage of scripture is actually fundamentally opposed to modern views of reality. The world we live in subtly encourages worry to such an extent that it leads to fear. It then goes onto offer means of escape so we don’t have to deal with our worries, or we can medicate them. Escapism is the things called for because of the ‘burdens’ of life. We’re entertained in all manner of ways and we’re given false ways out of the worries that we’re set-up with either in a consumer-driven way or in leisure-driven way. They’re false ways out, because they don’t deal with the situation.

Jesus’ way of dealing with the situation is calling us to live in the REAL world. That’s not about being engrossed and overwhelmed by every-day cares of life but seeing things from God’s perspective. Seeing the real important things – reflecting the image of God, seeking His righteousness in how we live, finding how to please Him in living a life like His Son. That perspective will change how we view everything else. Rather than being slaves of our circumstances we can believe God in them and walk by faith and not by sight to doing what He wants us to do.

4 His Name’s Sake
Shalom
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