The other day I was reading something written by a pastor from generations gone by, and he said of this certain thing: “This is something which is highly dishonoring to God, a sin which we need to make conscience of, confessing it with shame, and seeking grace to avoid any further repetitions thereof.” (Pink p. 219)
That’s pretty strong isn’t it? “Highly dishonoring to God.” No one who knows and loves God would want to be found doing something that is “highly dishonoring to God”, right? But the truth is, that many of us ARE, even today, because that pastor was writing about the sin of worry.
People are worried about a lot of things these days. Last weekend we took up an offering for hurricane disaster relief in Houston, TX, and now this weekend there is another, even stronger hurricane bearing down on our country — and even on our own state — with perhaps a couple more behind it! Then we see where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is threatening to send ICBM’s with hydrogen bombs against the U.S, the strongest such threat since the Cuban Missile Crisis of the 1960’s. Others of us would say, Listen, I can’t even worry about hurricanes or atomic bombs, I’ve got some things going on my own life: I need a job; I don’t know where my next meal is going to come from; I’m worried about my family …
Worry is one of the most common ailments that we face as human beings. Most of us would admit that there are times when we worry about one thing or another — and maybe you would admit that you are worried about something even today.
So it is for good reason that Jesus spends the whole second part of Matthew Chapter 6 addressing worry. Three times in these verses He commands His people not to worry: :25, :28, :31, He repeatedly says “Do not be anxious”! Now the people in His day were worried about food and clothing. And many of them had legitimate needs: remember when the 5000 gathered to hear Jesus, and it was time to eat, that they didn’t have anything. The disciples went out and “scoured the crowd” and only came up with 5 loaves and 2 fish. They really were a poor people who had needs for daily food that many of us today have no concept of. But Jesus commanded them not to worry, and what He said to them, applies to US today too. We may not be worrying about the exact same things that they were, but many of us worry nonetheless. And Jesus says, if you are My child, you should NOT be worrying! And He shows us why here in the second part of Matthew 6: Continue reading →
shawnethomas 