Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Rev Enoch Thompson | FEBRUARY 25, 2023 | MATTHEW 6:25-34

KEY VERSE:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

MESSAGE:

Life on earth is tough, and things seem to get more and more difficult with each passing year. We are all seekers of our own comfort, and rightly so, for we were created to have comfort and abundance until sin entered our story through Adam and Eve. Because creation has been brought under a curse, and we also have lost our privilege of rulership on behalf of God, our efforts to get the best out of the resources of the earth is filled with sweat and pain. We have become creatures of worry. We worry about what to eat, what to drink, what to wear, and where to lay our heads. We worry about the present and about the future, about our height and about our size, the colour of our skin and of our, hair and many other things.

Citizens of the Kingdom of God are taught by the Lord Jesus not to worry. Why not worry? We are not to worry because God gives us the things that are most important without us asking for them or worrying about them. He gives us life freely. The breath of life in us is more important than any of the things we worry about. We worry about what clothes we do not have and would have been happier to possess, but God gives us the body upon which we want to put the cloth.

We are not to worry because God takes care of creatures far smaller and less significant in the scheme of things; he clothes the flowers with beauty though their lifespan is so limited. He feeds the birds of the air, and yet they are not to be compared in value to us.

We are not to worry because our heavenly Father knows the things we need to live in this world. We are not to worry because worrying today does not stop tomorrow from bringing out other issues that may bring more worries. We are not to worry because our loving all-sufficient, all-knowing and all-able heavenly Father is aware of our needs, and He has good plans to provide for us at the right time and in the right manner according to His wisdom. Our attitude should be different from those who are not Kingdom citizens, “³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt 6:32-34), NIV.

FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:

Is the Lord teaching us to be uncaring about our lives and not take thought to the things that concern our lives? Certainly no. Rather, we are not to become preoccupied with our needs and wants and lose hope. We are to remember God has provided all that we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) and has taught us to ask for bread when we pray. Don’t worry, friend, trust God, and be happy.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, worrying comes easy and seems the natural response to the many needs and my many wants around me. But I believe in you more than I fear what surrounds me. Please help me to trust you to provide for me, and in the process enjoy the happiness that comes from casting all my cares upon you. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen.

THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.

SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!