And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! And which of you by worrying can add a single cubit to his life span? Therefore, if you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?
Luke 12:22-26
Introduction
One of the most common problems that has plagued humanity from time immemorial is the desire to control what cannot be controlled. All the way back to the sin in the garden: our first parents sought to become something other than what they were and are. Satan tempted Eve by promising her sin would make her like God, with eyes opened. But all it did was lay creation under a curse where today the very notion of good and evil at all is being challenged.
When you worry, you bring something in to be your responsibility over which you have no real influence. Consider the examples given in our Lord’s illustration: the ravens know what to seek, and they seek it while it is entirely provided by God; and even more directly, nothing you do can truly extend your life at all. Yes, you can eat well and exercise. You may keep up with the latest health and wellness news, rejecting certain conventional wisdoms and making informed decisions. But your life will still come to an end, and there is One who knows precisely when that day will be. The things you do can do nothing to change that.
The fruit of worry
All of that does not stop worry from becoming an industry that brings in massive amounts of resources. Pharmaceuticals alone represent market capitalization of nearly $7 trillion. And that is not to mention the entire world of holistic medicine, insurance, and investments which only promise to mitigate your risk and anxiety in this world. But whether you are insured or not, everything you have can and will be taken in the blink of an eye. That may be something you live to witness, or it may be at the end of your life, but in any event it will be taken away.
When we worry, we desperately seek after something to carry our hope. We diversify our investments and hope “not everything will fail.” We buy the most premium insurance and hope “they will remain solvent and agreeable through my future hardships.” We buy the pills and hope “this will keep my heart from failing.” But when we put our hope in these things, our hearts have already failed. Because ultimately they are all hollow and worthless. That is not to say it is bad to wisely invest, buy insurance, or go to the doctor. All of those things are very good to do. But we must never put our hope in those things, because they do nothing to save your eternal soul.
Trusting God
What do we do instead? Do we bury our heads in the sand like ostriches and pretend hardships and woes will never befall us? Certainly not. Do we claim promises not found in scripture and proclaim God can, will, and indeed must protect us from hardship? Even more emphatically, certainly not. Instead, let us trust in precisely what God has said: both about the nature of this world and His promise of salvation. First, we know that this world is passing away (1 John 2:17). All that is in it will come to an end, and God will make a new heavens and a new earth at His judgment (Revelation 21:1). We also know there is the promise for eternal life for all who believe in Him (John 3:16). So put your hope there. Your hope and your trust should always and only lie with the One who is actually capable of doing what you hope for. God will take care of your eternal soul, and prepare it to enter eternity with Him.
May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.
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