By 
I saw this quote a few days ago and it has been wrestling in my spirit ever since… “Worry is a down payment on a problem you may never have. It doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, just empties today of its strength.” – Ziad K. Abdelnour
As I sit and think about what that quote means I am brought back to a passage of scripture in Matthew 6:25-34 “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? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
And then pastor Steven Furtick posted Matthew 6:34 a few moments ago, which confirmed for me that this message was needed today. Thank you Lord for confirmation.
As mere mortals, it seems we worry about everything. From COVID-19 to whether we have enough to get by or what the future holds for us; we try so hard to be prepared for any and every possible thing as if we can control the world around us. This passage reminds us that no matter how hard we try, nothing is really in our control… So why stress when we cannot change the final outcome? Verses 25 and 26 clearly tell us not to worry about the nuances of our lives like what we wear, what we will eat or drink because there is more to life than those things. And just like the birds don’t worry about food, they just fly and go about their day knowing that they will be provided for; we too should know that God will provide for us and be sure our every need is met… daily. I say “daily” because I believe there are times we feel that God has not provided for us or abandoned us because he has not met a future need; a bill that’s due on the 30th but today is the 17th… Those types of needs are not “right now” needs but instead they are “right now” wants. I want to pay the bill early so I don’t forget or it’s late but there is still time for God to move on your behalf to fulfill the need. Think about it… When in scripture has God ever moved mightily in advance?… I’ll wait. Let me help you out… NEVER!!!!!! He has never worked a mighty miracle or moved mountains before the problem has arisen, He waits until well into the eleventh hour to act. Why is that? Because God never wants you to think you did it all on your own. All of His great works were and are for His glory and His alone. We have to remember that all things work together for our good in the end… If it’s not good, then it’s not the end… There’s still time for a miracle.
The question that is asked in verse 27 always reverberates in my ears every time I read or hear it. Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?… Wow. I think about this question a lot. I would even ask the question; can you add a single hour to anyone else’s life by worrying? My mom (she reads my blog so I’ll probably catch flack for this later) as much as I love her, she is a worrier. The epitome of a worrywart. We live in different states, hundreds of miles apart but she worries about everything I do. When I travel, she worries. When I drive to work, in a storm or sunny day, she worries. When I do handiwork around the house and have to climb a ladder, she worries… Worry, worry, worry!!!! And I get it; as a parent you are entrusted with making sure another human being is well, safe, unharmed and breathing, lol. You attempt to do anything and everything in your control to ensure their safety and their protection… But that’s just it. It’s not in your control, nothing is and nothing ever will be. God allowed you to carry and bring another human life into the world but ultimately their life plan is His… No matter how long or short it is, He will make sure that what He planned for their life is fulfilled. Though parents may feel like their child is theirs, the truth of the matter is that child, that life you have brought into the world has been given to you on loan, borrowed time. Once they are birthed and are able to walk, talk, and ultimately take care of themselves, it is out of the parents control and in God’s hands. It’s funny because my mom says all the time “I worry about my babies” and I always ask her “Why?” and she always replies “Because I’m your momma and I want you to be safe.” And again, I understand but what is worrying going to do other than cause unneeded stress on the one worrying?… If I fell down the stairs today and broke my neck, God forbid, what could she do?… She couldn’t have saved me from the fall she’s hundreds of miles away in a different state. Would her worrying have made me not fall? Would her worrying have made the situation in less devastating? Absolutely not. Instead we have to know and trust that God is watching over us and our children and keeping us all in the palm of His hand, and know that you did your job as a parent or guardian in teaching your children to make wise decisions like paying attention and being mindful walking down the steps as to not miss one, fall and injure yourself or worse. You can’t control the length of time that you or anyone else has on this earth by worrying… All you can do is be cautious in the moment and hope for the best outcome.
Verses 28-33 go onto reiterate what verses 25-26 stated, that we shouldn’t worry about the minuscule things of life because they will all work themselves out, but stay focused on God and His will and He will provide what you need… need, not necessarily what you want. However, verse 34 is interesting, “therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” This is our reminder to remain present in the moment… don’t focus on what you did yesterday or what may need to be done tomorrow because there will be new challenges to face tomorrow. Focus on what you can do now and what needs to be done today. What you do or don’t do today is the only thing you have any say so in, because yesterday has past and there’s no changing that, and tomorrow may never come; so be present and focused on the day, the hour, the minute and the second that you have right now and do the most with what you have. Time is our most important and precious nonrenewable resource; it is the only thing we can never get back once it’s passed. Why waste it worrying about issues, situations, problems, challenges, events etc. that may never even happen or occur? When you can spend that time enjoying the moments in life that you have right now.
I don’t know about you but wasting time that I will never get back worrying about thing that might not ever happen is too hefty of a down payment for me. I’m sure if you really look at it, you’d agree that it’s too hefty of a price for you too. Let go, let God and be present… Seize the day, be present, intentional and make the most of the time you have.
Love you and I meant it.
From Leigh, with Love
from Leigh, with Love 