Daily Scripture: Matthew 6:25 “Therefore, I tell you, don’t worry about your life — what you will eat or drink; or about your body — what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds flying about! They neither plant nor harvest, nor do they gather food into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they are? 27 Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to his life?
28 “And why be anxious about clothing? Think about the fields of wild irises, and how they grow. They neither work nor spin thread, 29 yet I tell you that not even Shlomo in all his glory was clothed as beautifully as one of these. 30 If this is how God clothes grass in the field — which is here today and gone tomorrow, thrown in an oven — won’t he much more clothe you? What little trust you have!
31 “So don’t be anxious, asking, ‘What will we eat?,’ ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘How will we be clothed?’ 32 For it is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. 33 But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Don’t worry about tomorrow — tomorrow will worry about itself! Today has enough tsuris already!
Reflection Questions:We sometimes read this passage as though Jesus condemned planning. No—using hyperbole (exaggeration to make a point, as in “That bag weighs a ton”), Jesus was warning against worry. He promised that if we make it our highest purpose and priority to “desire first and foremost God’s kingdom,” then God will work with us to attend to the other needs we face—and to help us distinguish “needs” from “wants.”
- Advancing age often changes what we can do. The Bible’s only specific reference to retirement (Numbers 8:23-26) exempted Levites age 50 and older from the heavy physical work of tearing down and carrying the Tabernacle in the wilderness (defined in Numbers 4). It implied, though, that they would remain involved in other kinds of service. Have you had to alter any of your service involvements yet? Have you thought about how you may serve if/when age makes some of your current commitments unworkable?
- Jesus was about 2,000 years ahead of modern research when he said, “Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life?” (verse 27) Today we have lots of research showing that worry shortens our lives. Yet we keep on worrying—sometimes we even worry about how much worrying we do! How can you plan for the future without worrying about it? (For help in planning without worrying, go to www.cor.org/crossroads.)
Lord Jesus, you modeled a life of peace and trust. Help me to keep learning how to live a life in which my energy can focus on your purposes rather than my fears. Amen.
---------------------Insights from Kari Burgess
Kari Burgess is a Program Director for the Catalyst team, handling promotion and marketing for all of the conferences held at Resurrection, as well as registration and coordinating hospitality volunteers.
The other night I had a dream. A nightmare really. I woke up in a panic, wondering if this terrible thing had really happened. I was in a cold sweat, my heart was beating rapidly. When I finally woke up , I had to laugh.
It was Thanksgiving. I was bustling around the kitchen getting all of the side dishes prepped and cooked. Cleaning up, setting the table, getting all the last details ready to go. The timer went off on the oven and when I went to take the turkey out of the oven, it was STILL FROZEN. In fact, it was still in its packaging, just sitting there.
Here’s the thing. Until that dream, I didn’t even realize the worry and anxiety I’ve been feeling about hosting Thanksgiving at my house. A silly example, I know. But a lesson in worry, nonetheless.
Webster’s says worry is a “misuse of your imagination.” Think about it. Much of what we worry about (what keeps us up at night or gives us nightmares) never comes to fruition. And it is true we cannot add a single hour to our life by worrying.
Our Scripture today tells us not worry, God will provide. But this doesn’t mean to not be concerned or to stop trying to solve our own problems. We are not meant to simply pray and expect everything to fall in place. There is a difference between worry and concern. My study bible says “Worry immobilizes, but concern moves you to action.” You see, we must learn to plan and work towards solving whatever is concerning in our life and to do so by seeking God’s kingdom and His will. Planning and working through issues is a good use of time, but worrying is a waste of time. By placing our trust in Jesus and putting Him at the center of every decision, thought and action, we can be sure to follow His will for every life situation. That’s not to say bad things won’t happen—because they certainly will. But having the assurance He is by our side during and through it all gives us hope one day all will be redeemed.
Wilfredo de Jesus, one of the speakers from the Global Leadership Summit in 2014, said, “Prayer is necessary. Prayer is a weapon. But we cannot allow prayer to be a crutch to not do anything.” What a powerful statement. God can work with us and God can work through us, when we seek His counsel. But if we let fear, worry and anxiety take over, we will be left paralyzed and unable to do His work.
When I am feeling particularly worried or anxious about something, I often turn to this text in Matthew 6. Philippians 4:6 is similar (and one of my life verses): “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
So after my turkey nightmare, I decided it was time to start planning our Thanksgiving meal in earnest. In trying to figure out what time to put the turkey in the oven, I did an ever-reliable Google search and found it recommended anywhere from 3 ¼ hours to 6 hours! I am now fervently praying for God to make known to me which “turkey cooking calculator” God favors. Any advice is welcome.
---------------------
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
The other night I had a dream. A nightmare really. I woke up in a panic, wondering if this terrible thing had really happened. I was in a cold sweat, my heart was beating rapidly. When I finally woke up , I had to laugh.
It was Thanksgiving. I was bustling around the kitchen getting all of the side dishes prepped and cooked. Cleaning up, setting the table, getting all the last details ready to go. The timer went off on the oven and when I went to take the turkey out of the oven, it was STILL FROZEN. In fact, it was still in its packaging, just sitting there.
Here’s the thing. Until that dream, I didn’t even realize the worry and anxiety I’ve been feeling about hosting Thanksgiving at my house. A silly example, I know. But a lesson in worry, nonetheless.
Webster’s says worry is a “misuse of your imagination.” Think about it. Much of what we worry about (what keeps us up at night or gives us nightmares) never comes to fruition. And it is true we cannot add a single hour to our life by worrying.
Our Scripture today tells us not worry, God will provide. But this doesn’t mean to not be concerned or to stop trying to solve our own problems. We are not meant to simply pray and expect everything to fall in place. There is a difference between worry and concern. My study bible says “Worry immobilizes, but concern moves you to action.” You see, we must learn to plan and work towards solving whatever is concerning in our life and to do so by seeking God’s kingdom and His will. Planning and working through issues is a good use of time, but worrying is a waste of time. By placing our trust in Jesus and putting Him at the center of every decision, thought and action, we can be sure to follow His will for every life situation. That’s not to say bad things won’t happen—because they certainly will. But having the assurance He is by our side during and through it all gives us hope one day all will be redeemed.
Wilfredo de Jesus, one of the speakers from the Global Leadership Summit in 2014, said, “Prayer is necessary. Prayer is a weapon. But we cannot allow prayer to be a crutch to not do anything.” What a powerful statement. God can work with us and God can work through us, when we seek His counsel. But if we let fear, worry and anxiety take over, we will be left paralyzed and unable to do His work.
When I am feeling particularly worried or anxious about something, I often turn to this text in Matthew 6. Philippians 4:6 is similar (and one of my life verses): “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
So after my turkey nightmare, I decided it was time to start planning our Thanksgiving meal in earnest. In trying to figure out what time to put the turkey in the oven, I did an ever-reliable Google search and found it recommended anywhere from 3 ¼ hours to 6 hours! I am now fervently praying for God to make known to me which “turkey cooking calculator” God favors. Any advice is welcome.
---------------------
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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