Jesus is emphatic about it us worrying… just stop it!

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”

Matthew 6:27 NLT

 Let me tell you about my sad launch of this day.

I woke up in the dark in our friend’s RV (in town for the memorial service for her mother) worried about the three steps down to where my clothes were. Once dressed I worried about slipping on the stairs down to the driveway.

I continued my worrying about the possible icy conditions on the roads into town. I was also worried that I wouldn’t find anyplace open where I could set up my computer to write to you about ‘not worrying.’

All this before saying “Good morning” to my wife or even acknowledging my Creator who has cautioned me about the stupidity of worrying innumerable times in the years I have known and trusted (?) Him.

All this worrying despite statistics showing that less than 8% of things we worry about ever materialize… and knowing we have a Father who watches over us more carefully than a nanny with a $250,000 gig taking care of a rich guy’s kids!

Why do we do this?

This potent question comes to us in the section of Matthew that covers: Giving, honest praying, the dangers of hoarding, how we store up eternal treasure in heaven and finally, the dastardly effects of worrying.

It’s not just about falls or icy roads or about catching a virus or finding it hard to locate toilet paper in the supermarket. IT’S ABOUT LIFE ITSELF! Yet everything in our lives is covered by God’s warranty and it is offered on everything – ‘bumper to bumper.’

God tells us to look at the birds. We love watching the backyard visitors and all their antics. But we’ve never seen that telltale look on their faces indicating that they’ve gone into the worry mode. Then another question from Jesus designed to get us thinking about things clearly: “Aren’t you much more valuable to your Father than they?” Matthew 6:26 TPT

 We all come up with blank looks when He asks us how much we’ve added to our height by worrying ourselves upward. I’ve never gotten over 5’8” in my whole life.

I love it when God quits asking the question and hammers home the instructions – “So then forsake you worries!” Matthew 6:31 TPT

 Let’s all trust God for the care He’s famous for and quit worrying about slipping, falling and sliding through life on our own!