Anxious? Who's Anxious?
Haven’t we all heard this in some form?
“Don’t worry.”
“Stop fretting.”
“Calm down.”
Telling someone to calm down has never calmed anyone down in the history of calming down.
Yet, Jesus tells us this quite seriously. I think it works because he goes beyond saying, “Stop worrying.” He gives us something to think about instead. After all, it’s like the green monkey. If I tell you to stop thinking about a green monkey, it just makes you think about one even more. But if I tell you to think about a pink elephant instead, he pushes the green monkey out of your head.
(You’ll have to figure out what to put in there instead of the pink elephant, and I’m sorry.)
Let us focus on God’s attention. It doesn’t mean we won’t face difficulties. It means God will not abandon us.
25 “Therefore, I say to you, don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink, or about your body, what you’ll wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes? … 33 Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25, 33-34, CEB)
Peace.