Jesus said: “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? 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? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
Do you worry? I’m guessing you do. Almost everybody worries. And why not? There is plenty to worry about. Unfaithful spouses. Errant children. Angry bosses. Declining health. Depreciating assets. Mounting debts. Oh, and of course, earthquakes, typhoons, and the tiger that just escaped from the zoo! What can one do but worry? Right? Wrong!
We have a mighty God who also happens to be our Father. And if we trust his greatness and goodness, there is nothing we need to worry about.
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).
What is Paul saying? He is saying when something troubles us, we should go to God, tell him what we need, give him a hug and thank him, and go away in peace. Now, you might think this is too simplistic but is it?
I remember when my daughter was little, she would sometimes come to me asking for some money she needed for a class activity to take place in a few days. I’d say ok, and she’d hug me, say thanks, and go away to play without thinking about it any longer. Why? I hadn’t given her the money she needed. She could be at peace because she knew that on the day she had to take the money to school, or a day before, she would have it with her. How could she be so sure? Because I was her father, and she trusted me.
Doesn’t the same principle apply to God, who is our Father? And unlike us, who have limitations, there is nothing God cannot do. So, Hakuna Matata. Don’t worry; be happy.
May the Spirit be with you.