Living Today Without Worry, Part One
[image error]This blog is for me; well, maybe not just for old geezers like me. Everyone deals with worry. My challenge is to live life one day at a time, joyfully, and without worry about the future.
This is not an appeal for us to blunder into the future with starry-eyed optimism. Planning is important. But worry is destructive.
It’s not the climate crisis that worries me. No. I’m of an age where colleagues and friends are passing on. I stare mortality in the face. Blocked arteries, arthritis, and artificial knee joints that are aging. Worry that the dreadful “C” might hide in my tomorrows? Or that my increasing forgetfulness hints at the terrible “D”? And what about my ability to care for my life partner and the challenges she faces?
Almost as challenging is not feeling useful, needed, and productive. Sitting[image error] back, way back on the shelf somewhere. After living busy lives how do we deal with no schedule except a couple of naps, maybe some shopping, and checking our Facebook?
First, Christ commands us not to worry. “Do not worry about your life…about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:25,34). Clearly, worry won’t change tomorrow. Worry fills our imaginations with monsters that don’t exist. Worry ruins what could be a good day or makes a challenging day even worse. Worry destroys our faith in the LORD of all our tomorrows. Worry opens the door to fear and pessimism.
Basically, we must decide if we believe Jesus who said, “And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Do we believe the Triune God who declares, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose…if God is for us, who can be against us” (Rom. 8:28, 31). [Take the time to read again all the incredible promises of Romans 8.]
[image error]Instead of living lives of worry, as Christ describes unbelievers as doing, what should our daily purpose be? In verse 33 of Matthew six, Jesus states the alternative; “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things [the things we need for daily life] will be given to you as well.”
Until the visible kingdom comes at Christ’s return, the invisible kingdom comes whenever by the Spirit, a person repents of sin and makes Christ the Lord of their life. How can we contribute to this happening? By being a gospel witness. But, you say, I don’t have evangelistic gifts. No, I don’t either. But we can ask the Spirit to bring opportunities our way. And as an old geezer, perhaps one of my key tasks is to pray for my community and for the missionaries extending the kingdom around the world.
The second thing Jesus asks us to do today, is to seek his righteousness. What did he mean? We can’t improve on our position in Christ, for “this [image error]righteousness from God, [perfect righteousness] comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Rom. 3:32). It is a gift. But we can seek holiness of life. We can grow in grace. We can commit ourselves to practical sanctification. That will mean asking God to help us produce more of the fruit of the spirit; “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, godliness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22,23). I don’t know about you, but even after having been a Christian for 64 years I find I’m lacking in all of these. But if we try to be all of these, we may give up in despair. I find it helpful to concentrate on one of these fruits at a time. In my case, I’m asking God to help me to be more patient.
“This is the day that the Lord has made.” Not a day for worry but seeking his kingdom and his righteousness. [I’m planning on continuing this series in a couple of future blogs.]
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