Not to Worry

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

I’ve been reading a lot about God’s love lately, in two different books. At first glance they seem to be very different. One author writes like an everyman, despite his vast experiences, high intelligence and knowledge of the Bible as well as a deep relationship with Christ. The other writes more like an intellectual. There are amazing spiritual truths in his books. He is brutally honest about his own life as well as what he knows of God but sometimes he uses words one rarely hears in conversation. In any case both men come to the same conclusion, a truth said in fifty words in the Scripture above. Nothing, not one thing can separate us from God’s love. Both men are quick to point out, more than once in far more words, that we are ourselves, can move away from God’s love but nothing can take it from us if we’re holding on to it.

The intellectual takes the path of God’s incredible willingness to pursue us when anyone can see it should be the other way around. For a gift of that magnitude we should have to chase Him down, promise our firstborn, give up our lives. Oddly enough, we don’t have to do any of that. God does it all. He pursues us. He gave up His firstborn and in doing so gave us not just this life on earth but eternal life. He doesn’t ask us to give up our lives. He asks us to live them to His glory.

The everyman author takes the path of asking us to drop our heaviest burdens and embrace the love of God. He points out in plain, easy to read terms the foolishness of worry. He quotes a lot of the passages where Jesus himself tells us not to worry. (See Matthew 6:25-34 as one example)

Let’s have a little scenario. You and I are together. I introduce you to my friend.

Me: “Hi dear. Let me introduce you to my friend, Jesus Christ.”

You: (probably stammering, I would be!) “P-p-p-pleased to m-m-m-meet you.”

Jesus: “Don’t worry. About anything. Just do not worry.”

Do you think your response to that would be to go home and fret over marriage issues, kid issues, bills, health or anything else? I hope not! But as the everyman guy points out, we do it all the time. We’re in good company. The apostles did it too. They twisted their hands. They questioned each other. They debated what to say to Jesus and they worried with Jesus standing right there! Most of us have the same first reaction to those stories in Scripture. “Fools!” We can’t understand it. Couldn’t they see him?

My kitchen faucet is messed up. I can’t fix it but I’m not worried. My husband is coming home today and he can fix it. My husband is a great guy but he isn’t perfect. He doesn’t know everything. He’s not Jesus.

My life is messed up in places too. I can’t fix it and I have been worried. But two godly men reminded me of a truth I already knew. Jesus is standing right beside me. He is in me, around me, and ready to fix anything I willingly, faithfully, put in his hand. My choice is the same as your choice. We can worry or we can lean on Jesus. I know the smart response, the correct response. All I have to do is be wise enough to make it.

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