A few years ago one of my sons and his wife gave me the ring above called a "worry ring." The inner band with the crosses twirls as you sit and worry and turn it. Well, that might seem amusing if it wasn't so true at times.
I think sometimes we Christians take this "worry" thing a little too lightly, not considering it the sin that God's Word indicates it is.
John Piper says:
"What Is Sin?
The most penetrating and devastating definition of sin that I am aware of in Scripture is the last part of Romans 14:23: "Whatever is not from faith is sin." The reason it is penetrating is that it goes to the root of all sinful actions and attitudes, namely, the failure to trust God. And the reason it is devastating is that it sweeps away all our lists of dos and don'ts and makes anything, from preaching to house-painting, a candidate for sin. In the original language, this is stressed even more than in our versions: it says, "Everything which is not from faith is sin." Anything, absolutely any act or attitude which is owing to a lack of trust in God is sin, no matter how moral it may appear to men. God looks on the heart."
Jesus makes it clear to us that He does not want us to worry, that He wants to shoulder all of our burdens and cares. In fact, He wants us to be free from care or in other words, carefree. Somehow, at times, we are tempted to feel guilty if we are "not worrying enough."
I don't agree with all of the poem below down to every jot and tittle, but it certainly gets its point across.
Two Days Not to Worry
There are two days in every week, about which we should not worry,
two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.
One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares,
its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.
Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.
We cannot undo a single act we performed;
we cannot erase a single word we said.
Yesterday is gone forever.
The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow
with all its possible adversities, its burdens,
its large promise and its poor performance;
Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.
Tomorrow's sun will rise,
either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow,
for it is yet to be born.
This leaves only one day, Today.
Any person can fight the battle of just one day.
It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities
Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.
It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad,
it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday
and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.
Let us, therefore, live but one day at a time.
Author Unknown
Matthew 25-33 says:
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,* or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?* And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God* and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
So, what am I saying today? I am encouraging you to have a worry-free week--to glorify God as He created you to in joyful celebration of each new day of worshiping Him. Have a wonderful week! I appreciate you, my reader, so very, very much. I am honored when you choose to return.
I may be just a little spotty this week in posting. I have granddaughters coming in from Oklahoma today.
all boldings mine
