Matthew 6:34 (ESV)
“Therefore
do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
As believers we are to lay up treasures in heaven, not on earth. We are to live in a non-anxious trust. The verse above has been interpreted by some to mean, “Do not plan.” But that is not what it is saying. Planning is rooted in the very nature of God the planner who planned the solution to sin before the foundation of the world. Planning is not wrong. Presuming that my plans will must accomplished leads to anxiety, but planning is not wrong. Insisting that my plans be accomplished leads to much anxiety, but planning is not wrong. James addresses this very issue. He warns us not to say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” (James 4:13). Rather we are to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (Jas 4:15). In other words, it is not the planning that is wrong, it is the assumption that my plans must or will be accomplished as I envision them. That is what is presumptuous and anxiety producing.
In a world filled with stuff one would expect that we would never worry about having enough. But the truth is, the more stuff we have, the more we tend to worry about it. Having enough stuff (things, money, insurance, savings, education, resources, etc.) becomes the basis for our lack of anxiety about the future. Unfortunately, it usually increases our anxiety. What if we don’t have enough? What if something happens to what we have? Our faith quickly turns from God to stuff, and our stuff becomes our god. Then we wonder why we worry. The real issue is that we fail to trust the only one who is trustworthy. We fail to trust God.
Trusting God does not mean that we can presume that he will order our future the way we think it should be. Trusting God means that we reach a certain level of indifference to the future. In other words, we are okay with whatever God chooses to lead us into. Trusting God means that we have learned to truth of Paul’s words.
Philippians 4:10-13 (ESV)
[10]
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern
for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. [11] Not
that I am speaking of being in need, for I
have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. [12] I know how to
be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have
learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. [13] I can
do all things through him who strengthens me.
AMEN! May that be true in our lives today.
Comments
Post a Comment