Tuesday, November 2, 2010
No Worries!
"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."—Matthew 6:31-32
A poll was taken in which Americans were asked what they worry about the most. The number-one response was, "My appearance." They may lose their house. They may lose their life savings. They may get wiped off the earth in a nuclear blast. But the real concern is, "How do I look in this outfit?" Things don't change much. Two thousand years ago, 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" (Matthew 6:31-32). Fast-forward to today, and the number-one concern is the outward.
What do you worry about the most? What causes you the greatest stress? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us why we should not worry, and what we should do instead. Then He concludes with this statement: "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need" (Matthew 6:33).
What we learn from Jesus about anxiety and worry is that the follower of Jesus Christ should not be filled with anxiety. This does not mean that a Christian should not be concerned with needs like food or clothing. Yes, we need to concern ourselves with them. Yes, we need to think about a roof over our heads and clothes on our backs and food in our stomachs. In fact, the Bible contains many admonitions about saving our money, investing wisely, and working hard for a living. Jesus is not saying that we should never think about these things. Rather, He is saying that we should not be obsessed with or worry about them.
Worrying doesn't empty today of its sorrow; it empties tomorrow of its strength.
Copyright © 2010 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
SPECIAL OFFER
Use this gift to keep teaching and proclaiming the gospel.
-
Presented with fresh and encouraging illustrations each month, our hope is that you will not only learn the names of God contained in the Bible… but that each name's meaning would give you the comfort, the security, and the peace to know that God is with us and is involved in our world.
You can have your own copy of The Names of God 2011 Calendar in appreciation for your gift to Harvest Ministries this month. 