Matthew 6:25-34
I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth more than birds?
Can worry make you live longer? Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of them. God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. He will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith?
Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.
Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This is “tax-free” weekend in Arkansas. For two days, parents can shop for back-to-school clothes and supplies and the state sales tax will be waived on certain purchases. This includes clothing selling for up to $100 per item, and purses and accessories retailing for up to $50 per item. My question is… “Do school-aged children really need $50 purses and clothing items that are $100 each?” Maybe I am just out of touch with the times… but I don’t pay this much for my own clothing and accessories. My experience with children and teenagers has taught me that most will not take care of said items well enough to merit these prices! I am sure some of my nieces, nephews and young friends – and maybe even you – would disagree… and that’s your business. But I honestly believe we have become so “appearance/label conscious” in this society that we have lost touch with reality in many instances.
As someone who sews, I’ve taken a look at high-priced items of clothing and discovered that many are poorly made. Materials are thin and the dyes fade quickly…the stitching is often less than secure and subject to raveling… and the quality just doesn’t match the price. And at the end of the day… are you really happier or more comfortable in a nearly $100 pair of designer jeans than a $20 pair of Levis from Wal-Mart – or even a good clean $2 pair from the local thrift store? Does that tee-shirt from the high end apparel shop clothe you better than one from a familiar name-brand department store? Is a $10 gourmet hamburger truly tastier and more filling than a $3-$5 Whopper® meal from Burger King? Our pastor shared with us recently that $10 can feed a family of four for ONE WEEK in Costa Rica. How far can you stretch $10? My point is this…we all tend to be far too concerned with things that don’t last and won’t bring us peace and happiness.
Before my husband and I married, we planned to attend college at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, where he was already a student. I would major in Elementary Education there… he would finish a degree in Accounting. Then he took a course in statistics and realized that sitting behind a desk crunching numbers did not interest him as much as being outdoors in nature. After much prayerful consideration, he decided to transfer to Arkansas Tech University and pursue a degree in Park Administration.
We had all of the paper work complete for my enrollment at UALR. We were already looking for housing and making plans. In a few short months, we would be married, so changing locations – and universities – was daunting at this juncture. But my husband-to-be did not come to this decision lightly, and one day he opened the Gideon Bible he had been given his freshman year of college and showed me this passage from Matthew 6. He explained that a career in the “Parks and Rec” field might never be as lucrative as one in accounting… that park rangers and school teachers might only “make ends meet” on comparatively small salaries. But he assured me that he would be much happier as a park ranger than an accountant… and that as long as we were together, “things” really didn’t matter. With God's help, we would make it work.
In that instant, I realized that I had the most important gift… someone who loved me – and not my possessions or my “earned income potential”. I began a mantra that I have repeated to my husband for nearly 40 years now… “I’d live in a pup tent, as long as you are with me.” And we have never lacked for anything.
On a far grander scale, we have a similar – yet greater – Gift. We have Someone who loves us… not for what we have or how we look… not for how we dress or whether we dine on gourmet meals and live in mansions. We have a God who loves us and wants to be with us… because of who we are – not what we have. And He is willing to see that all of our needs are met, just so we can be together. God really doesn’t care whether you carry a $50 purse or stuff your money into your pocket. He is not the least bit interested in whether your jeans have a designer label or came from the thrift store. What God desires is your obedience… your trust… and your devotion. He will handle the rest. You may not have much… but you will always have enough. This should give each of us a tremendous sense of peace!
If you shop this weekend, I hope you will think about what really matters… spend your “tax-free” money wisely… and make every dollar count. Start learning to focus on your relationship with God… and with others. Make God’s work your top priority. Evangelist Joyce Meyer tells of standing in front of the mirror one Sunday morning… stewing about which outfit to wear and what accessories to add. She clearly heard God say, “Oh for goodness’ sake, Joyce… just put on something and GO!” It’s time for us to do the same. We’ve kept God waiting long enough! Won’t you set your worries aside and get busy doing His work? God may never ask you to “live in a pup tent,” but if He did… how would you respond?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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