[that's the part you gotta worry about]

Last night I found an old journal entry that struck me. I had been meditating on Matthew 6:25, a well-known and repeated verse:

"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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"   

-Jesus

And though I'd heard those words countless times, what hit me was how insignificant those worries seem to be in light of the problem of sin. It's as if God was saying:

Worry about the moments you fail to extend My love and grace.

Worry about the money you hoard for yourself.

Worry about the things you buy in hopes they will provide happiness or joy apart from Me.

Worry about the grudges you hold.

Worry about the lies you tell to "get ahead" or make people assume only good things about you.

Worry about the judgments you make on others.

Worry about your impatience and rudeness in traffic or stores.

Worry about selfishness

Worry about pride.

Worry about all the things you put in front of spending time with Me.

Worry about thinking intellectual agreement is the same as belief.

Worry about ignoring Me when you don't like what I have to say.

Worry ignoring the people I have placed in your hands to serve.

Worry about the phone calls you avoid and relationships you squander.

Worry about losing your thirst and hunger for My Word.

Ever seen "Fox and the Hound"? It's a Disney movie about a dog and a fox that become friends, not knowing they're supposed to be enemies. As the fox (Todd) is examining another full-grown but fast-asleep hunting dog, he first notices his ears. Copper, the little dog, replies to his friend, "That's not the part you gotta worry about." 

Then Todd checks out his teeth. As he does, the big dog starts to wake up, and Copper yelps, "That's the part you gotta worry about!" as they run off to safety.

While a cartoon dog hunting a cartoon fox is a bit different, I think it's a great picture of what Jesus is trying to say here. The big dog's ears can't hurt the fox. But his teeth? Yessir. Not only can they do damage, but they can take his life. Same with what Jesus tells us to concentrate on instead of physical things:

"But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." (v. 33)

Seek first to honor, follow, believe, trust and worship Him. And in light of His Kingdom, the rest of what we seem to worry about gains perspective to become what it really is - temporary. 

[life that is truly life]

There's a verse that hit me in church last Sunday and continually came up all week long.

"These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God."    John 20:31

I've sung it countless times as part of the liturgy before. I can repeat it with my eyes closed actually, and intellectually I nod my head yes every time. But the beauty of God's Word is that it's living and active, and some of His sweetest lessons are when He opens our hearts to truth, not just intellectual agreement.

That's what it felt like this week for me. "These things are written. . "

Why?

"That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.."

And! There's more. It gets better.

". . and by believing you may have life in his name."

Let's be honest. It wasn't like God was bored one day and decided to write down His accomplishments. Needed to flex His muscles a bit. Thought someone might like to know some world history. He existed long before the world, will exist after and doesn't really need a Bible to back Himself up.

No, God inspired His Word for us. It was written down for us. To point us to Him. To reveal Himself. To teach us about His compassion, mercy, grace, truth, holiness and love. And He did it by using stories of people, average people, from many ages, many backgrounds and  many nations that had many struggles, triumphs, talents, failures, inadequacies, excuses and countless crap-I-messed-up-agains.

For us. That we may believe, and that by believing, we may have life not shortened by death. Life that is truly life (1 Timothy 6:17-19).