What, me worry?

Scripture for the day: Matthew 6:31-34 Therefore do not worry, saying, “what shall we eat?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For you heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Thought for the day: Those simple words printed above have been some of the most quoted in the history of mankind. Oh, not the verses from Matthew’s gospel, though they too are pretty famous; the ones in the title of today’s message. Do you remember who first spoke those immortal words? If you grew up with MAD Magazine as I did, you’d recognize them immediately as Alfred E. Newman’s life creed. Now, I know he had a slightly different attitude toward things than most of us generally take, but his philosophy wasn’t as far off the mark as most sane people would like to pretend. In fact, one could almost make the case that he was taking this passage from Matthew quite seriously.

I’ve watched as people have fretted over what seemed to me to be the most insignificant things. I’ve wondered as they’ve torn themselves apart over what might be, what could happen, what evil may be lurking in that great big bad world out there, and cease to function because they’d been caught in the ‘what-if’s’. What if it doesn’t work out? What if that person doesn’t respond as I hope they will? What if I lose my money or my house or something else the world tells me is important for my well-being? What if….? And I’ve watched as worry has beaten them down to the point where they seem totally incapable of functioning in the real world. And I’ve felt how sad that life is.

I’m not suggesting that we just simply jump off the deep end every time a new idea comes along, but when the Lord of the universe says, “don’t worry,” I think it’s time to make a genuine effort to stop worrying. Did you ever consider that, because of the verses we’ve just read today, worry is classified as a sin? That’s right; if Jesus has told us not to worry, and we persist in this destructive habit, then we are disobedient to the call of the Master and we can say, “well, it’s just the way God made me,” if we want, but the Bible calls it sin.

Read carefully the following quote from that great philosopher, Mickey Rivers: "Ain't no sense in worrying about things you got control over, 'cause if you got control over them, ain't no sense worrying. And there ain't no sense worrying about things you got no control over, 'cause if you got no control over them, ain't no sense worrying about them."

So take a moment before you get too caught up in the challenges of the day and decide what it is in your life today that you have control over. Don’t worry about that part of things – take control. Now make a second list of those things over which you have no control. Don’t worry about those things; rather, give them to the One who does have control.

Now go take on your world. - Bill