Don't Be Anxious - That's An Order!

So this morning I was reading the next two chapters for my Easter reading project.  Matthew Chapter 5 was first.  As I worked my way through I thought it was a lot to take in.  The Beatitudes, be salt and light, don't be angry, don't give in to lust, mean what you say, don't take revenge, love and pray for your enemies.  How am I going to remember all that, let alone obey it?  And I still have another chapter to read today.

A little overwhelmed, I prayed this, "Lord, I want to retain all that I'm reading today.  I want it to sink deep down in.  How about if we do it this way - you call me out on anything I'm violating or not doing too well at?"

(Although sometimes painful, I'm always a big fan of asking God to correct and discipline me as necessary, lest I cease changing and growing.  And as per usual, God answers as He sees fit.)

Moving on to Chapter 6.  This is what I like to call the secret life - giving, praying and fasting in secret.  Check.  Lay up treasures in heaven.  Check.  Eye is the lamp of the body, keep it healthy.  Check.  No one can serve two masters - love God not money.  Half a check.

Then this...

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ 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? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Well.  There it is.  Talk about a prayer answered instantly.  God means business and I am immediately aware that I am living in this passage - just not the way He wants me to.  There's a strong message here for me.  You too?  Six times the word anxious appears in nine verses and God forbids it.  

While the order is direct - "Do not be anxious" - it is also tender because He understands our humanity and weakness and tendency toward anxiety.  He's meeting us right where He knows we may find ourselves.  How cool is that?

We must not miss that, in spite of us, He offers promises, not condemnation.

This is a sacred echo for me lately.  When I'm standing at the corner of Doubt and Trust - even when I haven't yet taken a step but my body is facing toward Doubt - He doesn't respond with condemnation or negative consequences. He responds with grace.  Ephesians 3:20* kind of grace.  Exceedingly abundantly more than I can imagine.

I wonder about this amazing grace. I increase my study because I fear I barely grasp its depth and that might be causing my recent anxiety.

Maybe the problem is that I think God is like me.  (Big mistake.)  I know I would grow weary of someone as needy as me.  My patience would run out.  My generosity would dry up.  I may even try to distance myself if the neediness lasts too long.

But that's not God.  There is no one like Him (Jer. 10:6).  His grace is for all who believe Him in faith (Eph. 2:8).  His love is everlasting (Jer. 31:3).  He will provide all our needs. (Phil. 4:19).  He does not grow weary of us (Isa. 40:28).  Can I get an amen?  I'm choosing to receive that today and I hope you do too.

I don't want Him to refer to me as "O you of little faith"(Matt 6:30).  I much prefer, "Woman, you have great faith!"(Matt 15:28); "Your faith has saved you, go in peace."(Luke 7:50)  "Daughter, your faith has healed you!"(Mark 5:34);  "I have not found such great faith..."(Luke 7:9).

Wouldn't you?  Jesus finds faith irresistible. As you can see above, He called it out whenever He came upon it.

But back to our concerns.  Verse 32 deserves to be highlighted, "...Your heavenly Father knows you need them all." All your needs. All my needs. He knows.

Repeat after me: I will not be anxious.  (I imagine I may have to repeat it a few times until it changes me.)  Let's link arms and walk by faith, not relying on our sight. God will take care of us.

It's an order with a promise.

P.S.  One last thing I absolutely have to point out is this.  Three out of four of those scenes listed above are exchanges between Jesus and a woman.  Woohoo!  If you've never been told how much Jesus esteems women, receive it now.  When Jesus came, He elevated women to equality with men in His sight.  He loves you and has a plan for your life.  You are never less than.  Believe it!


*"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us."