DO NOT WORRY
"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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air...
Matthew 6:25-26
Undue anxiety is very common among us. Certain of us are nervous, timid, doubtful, and prone to fear. There are plenty of pessimists about, although they will hardly recognize themselves by that title. To them evil is always impending; we are about to take a leap in the dark. All their birds are owls or ravens. All their swans are black. If it rains today, it will rain tomorrow, and the next, and the next, and in all probably it will be a deluge. Or if it is a fine day today, it will be dry tomorrow, and so on for months, until the earth and all the meadows perish with drought. I suppose they cannot help it, but Christians must help it. For the Lord's word is plain and binding: "Do not worry about your life."
Fretful anxiety is forbidden for the believer, and it is needless. If you have a Father in heaven to care for you, are you not put to shame by every little bird that sits upon the bough and sings, though it has not two grains of barley in all the world? God takes charge of the birds of the air, and thus they live exempt from care; why don't we?
Our Lord also taught that such anxiety is useless, for, with all our care, we cannot add a single hour to our life. Can we do anything else by fretful care? What if the farmer deplores that there is no rain? Do his fears unstop the bottles of heaven? It is infinitely wiser to do our best, and then cast our care upon our God. Prudence is wisdom, for it adapts means to ends; but anxiety is folly, for it groans and worries, and accomplishes nothing.
Besides, "the pagans run after all these things." Let the heir of heaven act a nobler part than the mere man of the world. Our distrust of our God is childish and dishonoring. If we could not trust Him, could we manage better ourselves? Can we do better than "know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him"?
Father, open the eyes of my heart to see You for who You are. I lay my cares at Your feet. Amen
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