William Marshall wrote this break-in in his 1940 work Eternity Shut in a Span, “For several years a woman had been having trouble getting to sleep at night because she feared burglars. One night her husband heard a noise in the house, so he went downstairs to investigate. When he got there, he did find a burglar. “Good evening,” said the man of the house. “I am pleased to see you. Come upstairs and meet my wife. She has been waiting 10 years to meet you.”
“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matt. 6:25-27)
Instruction from Jesus (do not worry), followed by an example from Jesus (check out how the birds do it), with three questions from Jesus in the mix. Let’s look closely but briefly at each question:
“Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?” Food and clothes are an important part of our everyday lives, but they should serve us and not make us. The worry comes when they become too big of a priority for us or we just don’t see how those needs will be met due to our circumstances.
“Are you not much more valuable then they (the birds)?” All wild animals wake up everyday not knowing what the day will bring when it comes to food and they don’t stress-out about it, they just start looking around for food.
“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” This question is my favorite. Jesus was talking about food and clothes, and in the passage just before verse 25, about money and who is our boss, money or God. Now he asks if worrying can add time to our lives. An interesting place to bring the discussion. From food and clothes to adding hours to our life. I find it interesting because Jesus brings his audience to the issue of what they can control, or not control, as the case may be.
No activity adds time to what has been allotted to our lives,
but people waste hours of their day through worry.
LIVE THE STORY
Worry may grip you today. If that happens, acknowledge to God that he is in control and give him your trust with gratefulness and thanks for his salvation, presence in you life and body, and any other gifts or blessings you can focus on in your life.
By John Riley
Jr. High Ministry Pastor