either we do or we don't

Matthew 6

25 "That is why I tell you don't worry about everyday life;

whether you have enough food and drink,

or enough clothes to wear.

Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?

26 Look at the birds.

They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns,

for your heavenly Father feeds them.

And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?

27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

  28 "And why worry about your clothing?

Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow.

They don't work or make their clothing,

29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers

that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow,

he will certainly care for you.

Why do you have so little faith?

31 "So don't worry about these things, saying,

'What will we eat?

What will we drink?

What will we wear?'

32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers,

but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else,

and live righteously,

and he will give you everything you need.

34 "So don't worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will bring its own worries.

Today's trouble is enough for today.

These are extraordinary words of Jesus.

Can you imagine what kind of effect they must have had?

They were people who were a conquered people by the Romans.

Most of them were probably poor,

or slaves,

or “notorious sinners”

or who knows what.

Most of them lived pretty precarious lives.

Things were always in turmoil.

Life was very cheap – the individual was not important at all.

Life anywhere in the world was hardly a Club med existence.

And what does Jesus say to them?

“don't worry about your life.”

They must have thought He was nuts!

And He went on to say that basically if they sought a life in line with God, that God would take care of them.

They must have REALLY thought He was nuts then.

But some of those people who heard Jesus say those things chose to believe Him.

And people have chosen to believe Him in the 2K+ years since then.

I choose to believe Him.

These days there's a lot of things in my life to worry about.

Could we have a show of hands who doesn't?!

But a few months back, when I was having a particularly debilitating & ongoing worry fest, I thought this is crazy – either I need to believe what Jesus said, or not.

So far, I was in the or not column.

I just chose to believe He was going to do what He said He was – He was gonna take care of me.

I was going to believe – if in the end I end up on the little end of the horn, well, that's not my fault.

I'm gonna be & do what Jesus said be & do – trust Him that He'll take care of me.

Now, the stresses & strains & craziness is still there.

But I am worrying less.

I don't know how things are all going to turn out.

But I'm not in charge of that anymore.

God is.

My job is to follow hard after Him & let Him turn me into Jesus' likeness more & more each day.

Now, please don't think as a result of this I've started to pee holy water, or poop truth & wisdom.

ANYONE who knows me, knows better.

I just know that there's a different feel to my life – don't ask me to quantify it more than that.

I just keep reminding myself, as well as God, that He's going to take care of me, even though this world gets to be a pretty scary place more & more as the days go by.

And I do worry less.

Y'all, we have a choice here...

We either are gonna believe what Jesus said, or we're not.

I choose to believe.

I suggest you do the same.

What choice to we have, rally?

If we don't, life is not a lot of fun – it's eaten up with worry.

If we do, our life is in His hands.

Think about it...