No Worries |
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Elder
Phillip N. Conley |
Matthew
6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the
morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
This
morning, many people live in constant states of emotional
upheaval. One emotion may replace another but the common
denominator between their moods and varying emotions is that
they possess and consume their time. Emotions can be
two-edged swords in our lives. They have been given to us to
help deepen our experience of circumstances, but running
amok, they tear into the fabric of our being and end up
running us instead of aiding us. For example, Paul cautioned
the Ephesians in 4:24-25 to be angry but not to sin as a
result of it. Anger itself is not a sin, but left to grow
and breed, sin is easily found. The upheaval today takes on
many forms and wears different masks, but most of it
revolves around the uncertainty of the future and the
deplorable state of things that seems to swing downward
daily. While the moral decline pains my soul, it should be
no surprise. Paul's long description of the evil days in II
Timothy 3 foretells the events that we see today. While
awful, we should not be shocked at their appearance. The
Lord in His mercy told us they were coming and included the
remedy and potion for dealing with them: the word of God.
(II Timothy 3:14-17) As for the other culprit of emotional
upheaval today - future uncertainty - let us delve into it
more from the study verse before us.
Our
study verse is found in the latter half of Christ's "Sermon
on the Mount." Christ has layered many different thoughts
about moral living and Godly deportment ultimately
culminating in the verse before ours that encourages us to
seek God and His Kingdom first and foremost in our lives.
When that foundation footer is dug in and built upon as it
should be, other things will "fit" more comfortably and line
up as they should. As the saying goes, "The first step is
the most important." Our lives need to start in the right
place before we can hope to live in a way that will be
honorable and God-fearing. Christ continues His speaking in
our verse by showing that we should not worry and fret about
things if we want to fulfill the injunction in the previous
verse. Worry is very akin to bitterness, pride, and fear in
that all these things are spiritual killers. When someone
desires to live a Godly life, these things will prevent him
from doing it. What do worry, bitterness, pride, and fear
have in common? The focus in all these things is on self
rather than Him! Years ago, I was a "worry wart." People who
have known me only 10-15 years sometimes find that statement
remarkable since they tell me that I don't seem to worry
about much anymore. While I hope that is a compliment, it
did not come naturally. Two things provided the catalyst for
me to grow past that crippling state of bondage. First I
heard a sermon that expressed these thoughts: "People
generally worry about two different kinds of situations.
They either worry about things they have no control over, or
they worry about things they have some control over. No one
outside of God has complete control over anything, so let's
look at these two situations. If you worry about something
you have no control over, can you change it? Then, don't
worry about it. If you worry about something you have some
control over, does the worry help you do what you can in
that situation? Then stop worrying about what you can't do
and just do what you can." The other was a conversation that
I had with my natural mother. Part of my worry was what
others thought about me. It consumed me that people thought
one thing or another. She finally told me, "Son, you're not
responsible for what other people think. You're responsible
for doing what is right. Besides, of all the people you
know, half of them aren't thinking about you. The other half
don't think about you half as much as you think they do."
Taking
my story and the words of the Saviour, can we control the
future? We may be able to do things that help or hurt the
future, but we do not have full control or complete say-so
in it.
Are we
responsible for results about the future? We may get good
results in things, but our responsibility is to do what is
right no matter what. Worrying over what may come or what
looks like it will come will not help the situation, and it
will prevent us from doing what we can in an honorable
fashion. Think about the last phrase that the Saviour gives
in the verse. There is enough evil (trouble) today to go
around without focusing on the trouble of tomorrow. If I am
more concerned with the perceived trouble of tomorrow, then
I will not honorably labour and war through the conflicts of
today. Thinking about tomorrow's battle in such a way can
keep us from winning the battle before us today.
We
should pause here to make a brief comment. Some take this
verse to prove that we should not plan for the future.
People who invest financially and/or make any plans for what
they will do in days to come are in error and lacking in
faith by this mindset. This verse does not intimate such a
thing in the least. Rather, this verse focuses on the future
in one specific way. Do not take worry to it. Planning for
it is very noble and finds notable examples in Scripture.
Planning and worrying are two different things. One is a
focused mindset, while the other is an obsessed mindset. One
helps, while the other consumes.
When
people worry about the future - no matter the arena - they
by extension shove something else out: hope. When worry
prevails, hope wanes. Paul encouraged us that hope is a
great sustainer for our journey. (Romans 8:24-25, Hebrews
6:20) There is no greater light here for the child of God
than to have the hope of what God has done, has promised,
and will even yet do. Do I know what tomorrow holds? Not
necessarily, even though I have logical ideas about it.
However, here is what we do know friends. Though the events
of tomorrow are not completely known, we know that He is
there! Whatever happens to us, around us, etc., He will be
there. No matter what we endure, He will walk with us or
carry us through it. Sometimes He even takes troubles away
from us. No matter what tomorrow brings with all of its care
and trouble, Christ will be there with us and for us.
People
today talk about politics in woeful tones. Church members
talk about the church in sad inflection. Sometimes it may
even seem like the devil is winning. However, no matter who
is in office, the King still inhabits His throne! No matter
how much the church declines, the gates of hell shall never
prevail against it. No matter how many battles or campaigns
the devil successfully wages against us, we have still won
the war through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Though I
may not know what the next "chapter" contains, the ending
has been revealed, and what a glorious ending it is!
Friends,
the world we live in is plagued by sin. As such, it will
continue to have darkness, sorrow, destruction, and misery.
It should be no surprise when those evil beasts rear their
ugly heads. However, we should not let our emotions run wild
to worry about the "whys," "whens," and "hows." The
certainty we have that our hope is anchored in shines
supreme above all other things. No matter what happens today
or any other day, His throne will forever endure. No matter
how many more days this earth has left, the church will be
in it. No matter how many battles the devil may win, he
still loses. No matter how dark the evil may seem, good
wins. Thank God that His mercy endures forever. Let us think
on these things. May our hearts be refreshed and our hope
revived in the precious promise of a Victorious King! While
we think on these things, we can then follow the example of
the little sister who was commended by the Master who hath
"done what she could." Let us do what we can, praise God for
what He does, and thank Him for His never ceasing presence
with us. Worried? We've won friends. Somewhere after the
seas of all the tomorrows is a day that will be the eternal
celebration of His coronation.
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