“You Don’t’ Have to Worry – God Does Care!”

Fresh Manna 2009© by Pastor Tim Burt

Mat 6:27 ”Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?”

You are on a game show. The game host asks this question. What is something that everyone does? Give me your answer immediately! One contestant blurts out, “eat.” The audience thinks, “That’s got to be right.” Another contestant blurts out, “drinks.” The audience again thinks, “Surely that has to be right. We would die if we didn’t drink.” The next contestant yells, “Get dressed.” Everyone chuckles at that one and thinks, “These all seem like right answers.” The last contestant hollers, “worry.” The audience chews on that one and slowly but surely realizes, “That answer is also right!”

Everyone does worry. It’s just a part of life right?! Well Jesus says yes and no. Mat 6:27-28 & 30-33 says,”Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Jesus says that yes, the Gentiles (and He is referring to those that don’t believe in the Lord,) seek after stuff and consequently worry because they don’t know better. They don’t know or understand God’s love and purpose for mankind. Consequently their lives are about wanting, chasing after, and worrying about “stuff.” Jesus is saying that for those that know Him, worrying is absolutely a fruitless exercise. Let me put it to you like this. Would you ever sit in a restaurant and try to eat a bowl of tomato soup with a fork? No! It would be a fruitless exercise. Well, that is the value that Jesus puts on worrying. It is absolutely fruitless. It accomplishes zip! He says that worrying is a product of little or no faith! He does tell us that if we will make His purpose our life’s purpose, then we have no cause to worry. These things will be added to our lives.

Throughout my life, I’ve worked hard to try and not con God. That would also be fruitless. There are things in my life I need to not only meet the needs of my family, but to do the things I believe God wants me to do to live out my life for Him. For each one of us, that is different. We all have varying needs according to our families, responsibilities, and things we are called to do. I believe in having good things that I call what the word of God calls “equipping for every good work.” God doesn’t just care about what I do for Him. He cares about me, my family and my entire life. If those work in harmony and I am not trying to con God about what I want and have to have, then I can sincerely put my needs before Him. I don’t believe God wants me to have junk anything. I also know He doesn’t want me to have things that inevitably disrupt or distract me from my relationship with Him and serving Him.

All my life I wanted a lake home. Two of my brothers have one. It used to be one of my life goals. I had opportunity to purchase one along the way. But, I couldn’t do it. I knew deep in my heart that if I had one, it would affect the things I do for the Lord. I would have found ways to skip church. I wouldn’t have been as involved. A lake home had the potential to steal the call of God on my life. So, I laid that desire down as a sacrifice for Lord. Putting Him first place and serving His purposes were more critical to me.

At the same time, I’ve asked God to bless me with whatever I did need that was a part of the equipping of my daily life for my family and for serving Him. We’ve never held back from the Lord. We have always tithed and brought offerings to the Lord. We’ve done our best to put Him first place in our life in serving Him and others. And so, for what we have needed, we have asked God and believed for. Renee and I have put our needs on lists and kept them before the Lord. We haven’t worried. We just prayed with thanksgiving. God has met every need beyond what we can ask or think. We lack nothing in our lives!

As the Word says, God knows that we have need of things and when we ask, He will provide. He cares about the details of our life. He just doesn’t want them to be our focus leading to worry. He wants the salvation and restoration of mankind to Himself to be the focus of our lives. He wants us to use our gifting and equipping to help that purpose. 2 Cor. 9:8 puts it like this, “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need for every good work and plenty left over to share with others.”

Those that don’t know God, don’t know that He cares and so they worry. You do know God. He wants you to know that He cares and He wants you to have faith – not worry! Learn to be sincere with Him and examine your heart in asking. But, don’t get weird. God isn’t against you having good and excellent things that contribute to a good life of living for and serving Him. He is only against those good things having you and leading you away from Him. This takes some real heart examination.

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt