Luke 12:22-34
22 And he said to his disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
I worry too much. I worry about money, about work, about relationships. My acting out is sometimes triggered by worry, where I respond by trying to relieve the stress and control my environment in inappropriate ways. Jesus addresses the issue of worrying in this passage by pointing to the trustworthiness of God. Do not "be worried" he says in verse 29, "for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (verse 32). My heart's natural inclination is to respond with "But what if God doesn't show up?" It seems safer to rely on myself rather than rely on God. But is that really true? My resources are limited, and prone to failure (see verse 33). Jesus is saying here that God loves us, wants to bless us, and is trustworthy. That is very freeing if we let it sink into our heart, for it means we can let go of the worry and control. When we worry and focus on the temporal, we try to find treasure in the temporal. But when we focus on the eternal, we gain real treasure and peace. As Jesus says in verse 34: "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also".
Heavenly Father, help me to trust you.
22 And he said to his disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
I worry too much. I worry about money, about work, about relationships. My acting out is sometimes triggered by worry, where I respond by trying to relieve the stress and control my environment in inappropriate ways. Jesus addresses the issue of worrying in this passage by pointing to the trustworthiness of God. Do not "be worried" he says in verse 29, "for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (verse 32). My heart's natural inclination is to respond with "But what if God doesn't show up?" It seems safer to rely on myself rather than rely on God. But is that really true? My resources are limited, and prone to failure (see verse 33). Jesus is saying here that God loves us, wants to bless us, and is trustworthy. That is very freeing if we let it sink into our heart, for it means we can let go of the worry and control. When we worry and focus on the temporal, we try to find treasure in the temporal. But when we focus on the eternal, we gain real treasure and peace. As Jesus says in verse 34: "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also".
Heavenly Father, help me to trust you.