Jesus has been telling us about money and possessions. Be generous. Share the blessings that God has given you with others. Make giving your lifestyle. Tithing is one gift that God gives us to help keep our desires in check and to train us to live a lifestyle of giving. End of the month giving extravaganza to make up the budget shortfall.
Kids see things differently. Sometimes they are worried about or concerned about things that never cross our minds.
When the fireworks display began on the Fourth of July, my six-year-old nephew became so frightened I had to take him home. As we drove away, he said, "I bet God is mad at those people shooting at him!"
—Opal Stout, Cottageville, West Virginia. Christian Reader, "Kids of the Kingdom."
Scripture.
Is there a difference between worry and concern?
Worry is more consumed with the problem. Anxiety.
Concern is more compassion and love for someone.
What things should we be concerned about?
People & relationships. Here Jesus is “concerned” about a person who worries over the accumulation of stuff. He is “concerned” that we might be consumed by Mammon.
The story of Paul and Epaphroditus from Philippians. Paul had anxiety for Pap. Yet, Paul admonishes them (and us) to cast all our anxiety on God. Use it as a motivation for prayer.
What you do with your anxiety is a huge concern.
A problem is something you can do something about.
If you can’t do anything about it, then it is life.
Let God handle it.
Let go and let God.
Jesus’ prayer is give us our daily bread.
Cultural Tension
Planning ahead. Preparing. Most of the time we live days and weeks ahead. So these passages should make us uncomfortable. We should learn to live with the tension instead of ignoring it or rationalize why we should read the passage differently. Perhaps we are too consumed with living in the future. We are too consumed with what might happen tomorrow.
• Learn to live with the tension
• Learn to be content
Something we must be intentional reflective. Examining those things that we worry about and try to figure out why. Often we will find that they are based in fear. Fear of the unknown (what might happen), fear of failure, fear of looking bad.
• Learn to trust in God
Like contentment, trust is something we grow into. We learn to trust on a daily basis. We learn to trust in God through our failures and anxieties and our fears and those times when we try to take matters in our own hands. We learn to trust as we listen to the stories of others. We learn to trust as we tell our stories. We learn to trust as we examine our successes. My experience with my desire for a mate.
• Let your trust develop conviction
