Matthew 6:25-34
"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
My mom took her mother to the doctor once, and my grandmother announced that she would never return to that particular physician. When Mom questioned her, my grandmother said, “He wasn’t a real doctor… he didn’t wear a white coat or a tie.” Years later, my dad’s mother complained to me about another doctor… “He didn’t even touch me.” Do you see the difference? In reference to one of her caregivers, I recently told my grandmother, “I don’t care if she wears a clown wig and a red nose… if she takes good care of you, nothing else matters!”
We are so obsessed with appearances and STUFF. We care about the wrong things. We rush from one thing to the next and never notice the intricacies of how God knit together the feathers on a bird… how He gave spiders the ability to create the most spectacular woven creations… how the body of a tiny baby is perfectly formed – a miniature of our own larger selves. Worry is one of the devil’s biggest tools… and he surely knows how to use it!
But God is the King of “worry-busters.” If we trust Him in everything, He will handle it all, starting with the small stuff. Even those of us who trust Him for big things often forget this and begin to stress out over things like how we look, what we drive, how much money we make, and more. We focus more on what we don’t have than how much God has blessed us.
This is not a license to stop caring… to let yourself go and become a slob or a bum. God wants us to use what He has given us to the best of our ability - and represent Him well. But that doesn’t mean we will all look like cover models or superstars. Can I tell you something? The most attractively dressed person is the one who exudes faith, confidence, grace, joy, and love. We all know someone who is universally loved and respected – and looks less than perfect… and it doesn’t matter one whit! In fact, we really don’t even think about his/her looks. We’re too busy enjoying this person’s company and admiring him/her for making the most of God’s gifts.
Let’s face it… worry is excess baggage that we need to remove. Can we set it down, once and for all, and make this the day we start to fully operate in faith that God will meet our needs? Can we truly “let go and let God?” Can we recognize that our God, Who cares about the least wildflower in the field - or the tiniest bird in the air - cares deeply for each of us, as well? It is time to step away from the mirror and trust God to “cloak you in beauty.”
Let’s stop worrying about the “white coat and tie” and focus on the “touch.” The time has come for us to step up and be who God called us to be – and to trust Him to meet ALL of our needs. Are you ready to take this leap of faith?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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