Sometimes…I’m a worrier.
I was walking the jobsite recently worrying about a wide variety of issues. I was thinking about things that “could” happen or “might” happen and then thinking about steps to make sure what I want to happen… actually happens. In most cases, these thoughts were usually not the “good things” that could happen…they were usually bad…and with that came anxiety and worry. When I think about this…I’m embarrassed because 99% of the time…I can’t control the inevitable anyway! Yet, I continue to choose to carry the emotional burden of control anyway…ridiculous.
The Bible addresses this directly. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus instructs us not to worry. He goes on to give examples of why worrying is a wasted effort…which I agree with…intellectually…but I often fail to do it…
So what can I do?
Verse 33 gives me the answer…“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…” Ok, so what does that look like to me?
Maybe it looks like this…
I’m right in the middle of some home renovations. During this process, I’ve tried to save money by doing most of the work myself. What I’m learning in the process is that it’s physically demanding on this 60-year-old body. I also don’t have the tools I need and as a result, I either have to work with what I have or go and buy the tools I need and that is becoming expensive. Also, I’ve never done some of the work before, so it is taking me much longer and the end result proves it.
What I should be doing is to find a contractor that has the correct tools and the skills to do what I need to have done. If I did that…it would take much less time and the results would be much better than I could have done and it would be a welcomed relief for my 60-year-old body.
In essence, it’s about seeking the “right” person for the job and realizing that in most cases, I’m not that person.
So, going back to Matthew 6:33…Jesus is saying that He is the right person for everything we need to be done…not us. We need to trust in his expertise and competence to do what needs to be done and if we do that…the results will be way more than what we could have done ourselves or what we would have expected.
Which brings me back to the jobsite. As I walked the site and contemplated these new thoughts, I immediately felt my worry and anxiety melt away. The problems I worried about were now His problems. My concerns were now His concerns and I let go of them…and felt better for it because I knew He would handle them. I knew He was in charge and I felt certain everything was going to be ok. At that moment, I happened to look down where I was standing and saw this on the ground…
Seek first…I got it…