25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6: 25-34 (NIV)
My little girl and I read this today and I asked her, “What are you worried about? I could have filled a page with things that were pressing on my mind. My seven year old couldn’t think of a single thing they she was worried about. She said she knew that her mother and I were taking care of things. If only I had the faith of a child...I'm certainly getting there.
- What does this passage say about your finances, about retirement, a nest egg and financial security?
- Does the world’s formula for prudent financial management jive with God’s formula?
A Challenge:
What worries, concerns or stresses do you have about tomorrow, next year and the economy? Imagine the things that you could put on this list. Here is a challenge. Write out a list of all these things. If you are headed to church in the next week, take this list with you and stick it in the offering plate. Give these concerns to the Lord. If you aren’t headed to church, take the list, and file it away under "In God's Hands "and give your concerns to God. Pray that he would take these concerns away. Take each temptation to worry and turn it into a reminder to chase after the Lord.
If your mind is cluttered with worry - what benefits does it offer? On the contrary, it often clouds decision making, affects our health and relationships. For the stuff you can't control, ask for wisdom, discernment, and peace. If your worldview is Biblical and eternal...how much does your unpaid bill, dented fender or investment returns matter?
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
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