Matthew 6:25: “That is why I tell you not to 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?”
When you read the writings of Jesus, it won’t take long for you to realize that He has a different outlook on life than we do. If we will take what Jesus has said to heart and live our lives accordingly, then His Word will cause us to live in peace and not in worry or fear. Christians who don’t really take Matthew 6:25 to heart are more prone to live under the spirit of anxiousness and fear—instead of peace and hope.
Jesus begins His exhortation in Matthew 6 by telling us not to take thought (worry) for our lives, as it pertains to the things that are essential to sustain us in this natural world (food, clothes, etc.). This is the very place where God and man differ. This life isn’t as important to the Lord as the one that we will enter once we leave this body. It is in this context that He admonishes us not to love this world or our lives in this world, but rather He wants us to love and trust Him more. Yet, as humans, we tend to be consumed more by this present life than we are about how we will spend our eternal existence.
To bridge this chasm between the Lord’s view on this life and our view, He has told us to submit our present life into His care and only focus on keeping His will and Word in this present world. If you and I will honor His request, the peace of God will be allowed to guard our hearts and minds. When we put into practice the principles of His teaching, we will learn how to rest and enjoy this life more. If we reject His instructions to trust in Him, then we will worry, labor, and forfeit His added blessing on our lives. So, instead of Jesus asking us to give up our lives, He is essentially telling us to give up “control” over our lives so that we might enjoy it more readily.
Did you know that it’s the little foxes that spoil the vine? It’s the little things that we allow our flesh nature to drive us to do that make it possible for the enemy to rob us of living a blessed and peaceful life. The more we trust in God’s Word and in His ways, the less we will feel driven or forced to defend what we have. Do you feel driven most of the time? Are you tired from stress, worry, dread, and fear? Simply put into practice the Words that Jesus spoke in Matthew 6 and watch how the peace and provision of God begin to allow you to enjoy life in a chaotic world.
John 14:27-28: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved Me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am.” —submitted by Asa Dockery, US
aletabugg on April 21, 2011 at 9:05 pm
I have adopted Matthew 6:23 as my mantra, mission statement and purpose in life. It is a process, but once we learn to truly put God first in all things, we find that His faithfulness, love and peace will abound in our lives!