Facing Life Without Worry

November 27, 2011


Background Scripture: Matthew 6:19 – 34
Lesson Passage: Matthew 6:25 – 34

Food, clothing, money, and indeed all material possessions can be causes for worry. And why shouldn’t we feel this way seeing that the society in which we live is bombarded with daily messages of how important those things are. In fact, we are encouraged to believe that those things define who we are and what we are worth. No wonder we spend so much of our life accumulating material things to the point of even devaluing relationships. Once accumulated, then the new worry is about securing them so that we can hold on to these material possessions. We don’t want to lose what we have invested so much of ourselves into obtaining. What will others think of us if they see that we can get this stuff but we don’t have what it takes to hold on to it? Will it rust or deteriorate in some other manner? Will thieves sneak in and make off with it? Will burglars confront us and take it? Will it be destroyed by some unexpected natural disaster? It seems as though we sometimes worry more after we get stuff than we worried about not having it. It can be a cruel irony that the very things we crave can become our biggest source of stress once obtained. The society in which we live can cause some strange groups to emerge. The rich will sometimes appear to have almost nothing and the poor will pretend to have everything. Clearly these two groups have a very different view of the meaning and importance of material goods. The rich appear to give away or donate much of what they have and yet their wealth continues to grow without end. On the other hand, the poor attempt to keep everything they obtain and in the end lose almost all of it anyway. One of the things that appear to be common to all people is worry or stress. It seems as though we have come to expect a certain amount of worry as the normal order of things for people. This type of thinking can cause us to become concerned when we are not worrying about something. We wonder if we have forgotten something or perhaps there is something going on that we should know about but we don’t. We even worry about not worrying. Our lesson today looks at a portion of the Sermon on the Mount that invites us to live a stress-free life. Not only does Jesus suggest that it is possible to live this way, he also makes it clear that this is the desirable way to live. The key to stress-free or worry-free living is dependence on God. Jesus points to the birds and wild grass as proof of God’s ability and willingness to supply the needs of His creation. How much more would He do the same for His new creation (regenerated mankind)? We can only come to face life without worry when we place all of our confidence in God. We must believe that He cares about our needs as well as our wants. If we place God at the top of our list in everything, then He promises to supply the material things we would otherwise crave. Seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness is all about seeking God’s face and not seeking His hand. Only then will we live worry-free lives.


Robert C. Hudson
November 16, 2011