Strive First
For the
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body,
what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and
the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor
reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you
not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour
to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies
of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even
Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so
clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown
into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or
‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things;
and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But
strive first for the
“So do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
When you shift your mind into neutral
and just let it idle, where do your thoughts go? Do you worry about money, your
family, your job, or your health? If you put your faith in the Lord, you will
not have to worry about things over which you have very little control. You
cannot add one second to your life by worrying about them. God Himself has
assumed the responsibility for your food and clothing – and all your needs.
Jesus instructed us to center our lives on God’s kingdom. Then clothing, food
and drink will be ours as well. Focus your life on God and in doing His will,
and everything else will be provided.
Poverty of
purpose is far worse than poverty of purse.
Our Daily
Bread –