7 Reasons to Not Worry

Reason 5

 

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.” - Matthew 6:31-32 ^NLT

 

            Matthew points out that worrying “dominates the thoughts of unbelievers”. Does that mean we are poor Christians when we worry? I think not. We are human and God knows that all too well. That phrase poses as a challenge to all who believe. It begs the question: If your Father in heaven knows all things that can be known, then it stands to reason that He would know all our needs. Not wants. He knows them too, but His focus is on that which we need to survive. God is not necessarily interested in making our lives easy or comfortable. His interest lies in our living for Him and excepting His will for us as it is revealed to us. 

               The previous verse asks the question, “why do we have so little faith?” Why do we? I know I’m beating the same drum repeatedly here, but the answer lies in where our FOCUS lies. What are we fixated on? Is it that which causes us angst or is it the problem solver? We must use each event in our lives to allow our faith to grow. Scripture is clear ... draw close to God & He will draw close to you. The closer He gets the more His image will block out anything else around us. 

                God knowing what we need is a huge benefit to us.  And we never have to beg. He hears us; He knows. Work at stopping the worrying part of your life. If your desire is to know God more and fear calamity less, surrender to the will of God and watch your life take a dramatic turn. 

                 Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries 

7 Reasons Not to Worry

Reason 4

“And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?” - Matthew 6:30 ^NLT

 

                  Romans 8:39 (NLT) tells us that: “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If He loves us (unconditionally), then why would He not provide for us? He certainly would and does.

                  When money is short and the bills keep going up, it is our human tendency to be concerned for the future. But our Heavenly Father has us covered, so there is no need to become worried about anything. To combat worry, check out this verse: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ^{(Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)} Does that sound like someone who has no intention of providing for us. Not at all.

                  We must teach ourselves to TRUST God with our lives. His will for us is to guide is thru this crazy life while giving us all we NEED to not just survive but succeed. Please remember that God’s version of success in no way lines up with the world’s view of success. It may or may not involve financial success. It may or may not involve personal notoriety. The word NEED is capitalized to make a point. We tend to have difficulty deciphering the difference between WANTS & NEEDS. God KNOWS what we need and THAT is what He promises us, not all our wants.

Solomon was said to be the wisest man alive and that is because when God said to him that He would give him ANYTHING he asked for, Solomon chose wisdom and discernment in ruling over Israel instead of riches and fame. The Lord was so impressed with his request that He honored his request AND gave him all that he did not ask for. Seek that which pleases the Lord and NOT what pleases you.

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

7 Reasons Not to Worry

Reason 3

 

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” - Matthew 6:27 ^NLT

 

 

“Worry is more likely to shorten life than to prolong it, and ultimately such matters are in God's hands. To trust him should be enough.” ^{[Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament; Copyright 2004.]}

 

                  This verse shines a light on the futility of worrying. Nothing positive comes out of worrying.  Worrying is akin to being concerned and it is only natural to be concerned about certain areas of our life that have been cause for tension and stress. If unchecked it can lead to anxiety and that is never a good thing. The way you can prolong your life is to eat healthy, exercise, and digest God’s Word as a means of stabilizing your conscience and sub-conscience mind. 

There is too much negativity in this world, coming from people who have other ideas regarding what is wrong and what is right. Don’t agree with them and they are loaded for bear and ready to cut you down verbally. That does not even remotely resemble the Golden Rule now does it? Some say Christians are liars, hypocrites, racist, white supremist, and that is without even knowing us. That causes stress. Living a peaceful life almost doesn’t even seem possible anymore. However, if we live by God’s principles in the long run we will be able to negotiate the treacherous terrain that surrounds you.

NOTHING can add years or for that matter, even seconds to your life. NOTHING. But your life will end up being far more pleasant if we remain positive in the face of chaos and hold on tightly to our faith. The Lord has and will never let any of us down. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

7 Reasons Not to Worry

Reason 2

 

“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” - Matthew 6:26 ^NLT

 

                  Back in the day MAD was a crazy, satirical magazine that I, along with millions of others, enjoyed reading. As I recall it was very funny. Alfred E. Newman was the face of the magazine who was famous for saying, “What me worry?” People today could take a lesson from Alfred. Some of us tend to worry about every little thing that happens to us that is out of our control. We also invent scenarios in our mind that we begin to stress about as if it had already taken place, though it hadn’t and likely would not. 

                  Worrying takes years off ones life. Stress, which is associated with worrying, can cause all sorts of health problems. The unknown, as in the future, can cause us sleepless nights and tension filled days if we don’t learn how to deal with it.

                  Things have been fairly unstable in our country the last several years and that can cause quite a bit of consternation. I have moments when I shift my focus onto that which is bothering me, but eventually come to my senses and shift my focus back where it belongs; on the Lord. Now, whenever I begin to stress about something I come to the place where I simply lift the entire situation up to God and acknowledge that everything that happens is either caused or allowed by the Creator of this world and all that is in it. God knows all about it and will take care of His children, of which I am one. 

God’s Word tells us in the verse at the top of the page, that our needs shall be met by our Heavenly Father, who in Hebrew is called Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. If you can find it in yourself to believe what I just said then your stress should begin to dissipate. You see God loves us without conditions placed upon that love. And NOTHING will ever change how He feels about us. And He is ALWAYS there, even IN us, thru the person of the Holy Spirit. Worrying does nothing positive for any of us. Fixate on God and be at peace. It is NOT God’s will for any of us to be stressed thru worrying. Shift your focus. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

NOTE: Alfred E. Neuman is the fictitious cover boy of the American humor magazine MAD*. The character's distinct smiling face, gap-toothed smile, freckles, red hair, protruding ears, and scrawny body dates back to late 19th-century advertisements.

*MAD was a satirical American humor magazine first published in 1952.

7 Reasons Not to Worry

Reason 1

 

            It should be noted that the very same God who made you from dust can absolutely be trusted to lead and guide you in every aspect of your life.

 

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food & drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?” - Matthew 6:25 ^NLT

 

                  Why do we strive to get THINGS that offer temporary satisfaction, yet place less importance on the things of God? Is it because we trust more in what we can see with our own two eyes, rather than that which is real, yet not seen? We worry, even though we are admonished not to, because our humanness acts as a roadblock to our faith. Our stress and worry could come from a lack of trust in the unseen God. We can hear His Word all the time, but unless we apply what we hear / read and know to our everyday life, we will shortchange ourselves every time.

                  We get caught up in those things which are happening all around us and take our eyes off the source of peace and hope. That can be easily remedied by shifting our focus back where it belongs ... on the source of all things good and righteous and just. Stress and worry do not come from God, they come from the one who rebelled against God and was removed from heaven. Satan will trip you up any way he can. Be on guard. Trust God’s Word as true and reliable. Shed the cloak of fear that the enemy has tossed upon you in an effort to make you less effective for the Kingdom. Understand and know that life is a battlefield, and your mind is the front line. Your stress and fear are mental attacks from the devil and his minions. Rid yourself of such attacks by striving to live a life that is according to God’s Word and therefore pleasing to Him. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller 

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible; p. 2013.

Trusting God 5

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.”- Psalm 56:3 ^NASB

In past postings I have made a distinction between fear & reverence. In this verse being afraid is the other meaning of fear used in scripture. We’re human with emotions. We become afraid and we worry; however, God instructs us that we need not fear or worry. This is because we are his and he is our Heavenly Father. 

No matter what circumstances you may find yourself in, what good could possibly come from worrying or being fearful. Will it help you in your situation? No. Will it bring you peace or comfort? No. These are characteristics that emerge from a close, intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. 

Don’t misunderstand me. Fear can be a very real thing to some folks. Anxiety, even panic, can set in and be hard to deal with. I’m not trying to minimize the reality of these issues. I’m only trying to say that it doesn’t have to be that way. I know what I’m talking about because I have struggled with panic attacks for years and am on medication to deal with it. Anxiety can be a very scary, very real thing that some folks are not equipped to deal with effectively. It can rise up within you without warning and cripple your ability to rationally deal with your situation. Between my meds and the Lord I have seemingly conquered this foe, but it hasn’t been easy. However, it can be overcome. 

With regards to our fear of mortal men, they can inflict pain, suffering and death to us, but they cannot rob us of our soul or our future beyond this life. A travesty in this life is when someone rejects Almighty God and loses out on forgiveness and a subsequent eternal life in his presence. Matthew 10:28 says this: “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” We need to revere God with awe for who he is and what he can do and has done. For God controls this life and the next. We can trust our God with our very lives, without question. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Trusting God 4

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”- Psalm 118:8 ^{New American Standard Bible}

                  While it cannot be confirmed, many Bible scholars surmise that this Psalm was written by none other than King David. But it really doesn’t matter … the message is a familiar one, nonetheless.  Trusting in man is misplaced trust. Almighty God can do what no man could ever do. Our trust in God enables us to know exactly where to go in our greatest time of need. Proverbs 18:10 tells us, “The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.” Again, in Psalm 46:1 it says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

                  What can man offer us when trouble arises? Not much. As I have said in past postings, mortal man’s resources are sorely lacking. When you think of God and what scripture says of him, you should have confidence that he will protect you from anything that may come against you. God watches over his children as a mother hen watches over her chicks or a shepherd watches over his flock. Both are safe and secure, protected by their loving overseer.

                  As an illustration, a form of refuge could be a fortress, which can have outside walls as thick of 4 feet. Penetration by the enemy would be difficult. Infiltration from within would accomplish that goal. I would compare that to your mind being compromised by the enemy thru some form of media incursion or irregular association. Our relationship with God is meant to be deeply intimate. The closer we are to our Heavenly Father the more we will trust him, because we know him a little bit more each day we spend time with him. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries