Are You Living Your Dream, or Living Your Fears?
“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 than food, and the body more than clothes?…But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:25, 33
Not sure where to start this week, I did a quick image search for “quotes on anxiety”. Wow. There were a lot of answers. Oftentimes an image search on an idea will have a lot of repeated slogans with varying backgrounds. I scanned the full opening page and interestingly didn’t see a single repeated idea. The reason? Anxiety is a constant foe we have all battled. The quotes ranged from clinical advice to personal reflection and even went so far as cries for help (in my opinion). Many of them I regarded as fluff but two connected with me personally.
“Too man of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” -Les Brown
“Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength.” -Charles Spurgeon
It should be encouraging to know this isn’t a new phenomenon. Even in Jesus’ day (likely even before) people still battled anxiety. This week we look at the penultimate teaching on worry and anxiety as Jesus concludes his famous “Sermon on the Mount.”
Jesus reminds his listeners then and us today of the simple question we are so quick to forget when worry starts: If we know God loves us, why are we worried? It’s the question we are going ask ourselves this week as we worship in song, scripture and sacrament.
Between now and then, here is my favorite reflection on this passage. Take a few minutes to let this prayer song remind you His love is strong.
Amen.