Happy New Year! Next week we begin a series going through Philippians. This Sunday I want to briefly share something related to New Year’s and then give an opportunity for you to share a testimony as we look back at the past year and look ahead to the year to come. You should always have a Bible, something to write with, and something to write on, so that you can take note of those things you feel God is impressing on your heart.
In Matthew 5-7 is a long collection of Jesus’ sayings known as the Sermon on the Mount. Halfway through, Jesus says these words to the gathered crowd:
Matthew 6:24-34 - "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. 25 "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? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
This is not Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t worry, be happy.” Yes, Jesus tells them not to worry, but there is a call to do more than just stop worrying. Jesus tells the listening crowd that he knows that they are anxious about having material things, but that the antidote to worrying is not to try to stop worrying, but to seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, to prioritize God and His will in your life and in this world. He tells them that people everywhere are so worried about food and drink and clothing, about providing for themselves or their family, but that God loves us and knows what we need. And if we will put God first and live for Him, then He will take care of our needs. Once again, the promise is: you put God first, and He will take care of your needs.
