by Joyce Meyer - posted June 05, 2013
So do not
worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and
anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. —Matthew 6:34
Every
believer has the responsibility to live right—to be a doer of the Word and not
just a hearer. Motivated by the reverential fear of the Lord, we can learn to
live carefully and begin to make a difference in the world we live in. You and
I need to be careful about what we allow into our spirits and how we live our
lives. Proverbs 4:23 says to guard our heart with all diligence because out of
it flows the issues of life. I believe we should have a careful attitude about
how we live—not a casual or a careless one. We need to be careful about what we
watch, what we listen to, what we think about, and who our friends are.
I’m not
saying we need to live according to the strict and demanding dictates of man.
Some would say we must not wear makeup or that we must wear colorless clothing
from our necks to our ankles. That is nothing more than legalistic bondage to a
bunch of rules and regulations. I had a very legalistic relationship with God
for years and was miserable, so the last thing I want to do is teach legalism.
What I am saying is that we shouldn’t compromise. We should recognize our
responsibility as Christians to live our lives in such a way that unbelievers
will be attracted to God by our behavior.
James
4:17 says, “…any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to
him it is sin.” In other words, if we are convicted that something is wrong,
then we must not do it—even if we see a hundred other people doing it and
getting by with it. They may seem to be getting by with it, but sooner or
later, we will all reap what we sow.
We know
that worry and anxiety are not characteristics of a godly Christian. Yet still,
many Christians worry. You can choose to worry, or you can reject worry and
choose to live with joy and peace. Most people don’t want to hear that message,
and they seem to find an odd comfort in thinking that worrying is beyond their
control. It is not. Worry is a sin against God.
As long
as I’ve been in the church, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone make that
statement. But it is sin. It is calling God a liar. It is saying that God is
not sufficiently able to take care of you and provide for your needs.
Faith
says, “God can do it.” Worry says, “God isn’t able to help me.”
When you
worry, you not only call God a liar, but you have also allowed the devil to
fill your mind with anxious thoughts. The more you focus on the problems, the
larger they become. You start to fret and may even end up in despair.
Think of
the words of the great apostle: “I have strength for all things in Christ Who
empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who
infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]”
(Philippians 4:13). Or think of the words from the psalmist: “Commit your way
to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on,
rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass” (Psalm
37:5).
Jesus
told His disciples not to be anxious and, as quoted above, not to worry about
tomorrow. But He did more than teach those words; He lived them out: “And Jesus
replied to him, Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have lodging places,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20). That wasn’t a
complaint but a simple fact of life. Jesus trusted His Father’s provision for
Him even when He didn’t know where He would sleep or what He would eat.
Jesus
taught that we are not to worry about anything in life. He wasn’t speaking
about planning and thinking ahead. He was saying that some people never act
because fear holds them back. They can always tell you ten things that can go
wrong with every plan. Jesus wants us to live a stress-free life. If you are
worrying about what might happen, you’re hindering God from working in your
life.
I heard
about a couple whose daughter was diagnosed with a serious illness that wasn’t
covered by insurance. The parents were struggling to pay all the medical bills.
Not knowing what else to do, they both went into their bedroom for a lengthy
time of prayer. Afterward the husband said, “It was really quite simple. I am
God’s servant. My responsibility is to serve my Master. His responsibility is
to take care of me.”
The next
day, the doctors told them that their daughter was eligible to be part of an
experimental surgery and all expenses would be paid. The wife smiled and said,
“God is responsible, isn’t He?” What a testimony to their faith and trust in
God who remains faithful and responsible at all times and in all things. God is
no respecter of persons. What He does for one, He will do for another (see
Romans 2:11). I encourage you to stop worrying and start trusting in Him.
Lord God,
I know that worry is a sin against You. In the name of Jesus, help me overcome
all anxieties and worry and enable me to trust You to provide for every need I
have. Amen.
From the
book Battlefield
of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2006 by
Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
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