Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? - MATT. 6:25
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. - MATT. 6:34
Dear Bothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus
Welcome once again to the series of Demands of Jesus. This time I will be concentrating on the demand of Jesus to not be anxious about the necessities of your daily life, for God Almighty provides all of these for us. The following has been taken from the book "What does Jesus Demand from the World" by John Piper
There have been kings who find it very effective to keep their subjects in constant anxiety. If the people are anxious about their life and worry about where their next meal is coming from, then perhaps they will be more than willing to do the king's bidding in order to get the food they need from the king's storehouse. Anxiety keeps them in their place. Fear makes the monarchy firm.
JESUS DOES NOT SECURE HIS KINGSHIP BY CULTIVATING ANXIETY
But one of the greatest things about Jesus is that He does not want His people to be anxious. He doe snot secure His kingship by cultivating anxiety. On the contrary, the aim of Jesus' kingship is to free us from anxiety. He doesn't need to keep us anxious in order to establish His power and superiority. They are untouchable and invincible. Instead, He exalts His power and superiority by working to take away anxiety.
When Jesus says, "Do not be anxious about tomorrow," He is demanding the kind of life that everybody would want - no anxiety. No fear of man or menacing circumstances. But how does Jesus expect this demand to come true when we see things all around us that make us anxious? Jesus gives us help in two extended treatments about anxiety and fear, one having to do with anxiety over the basics of life, like food, drink, clothing (Matt. 6:25-34), then the other having to do with anxiety over the hurt that men can do to us (Matt.10:24-31). In the first passage Jesus sustains our ability to press on joyfully when we can't see how all our needs will be met. In the second passage, which I deal with in the next series, Jesus motivates us to press on boldly in the cause of truth when people threaten us.
THE ANXIETIES OF DAILY LIFE
Everyone can plainly see Jesus' point of view in Matt.6:25-34. "Do not be anxious".
Verse 25: "Do not be anxious about your life".
Verse 31: "Do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?'"
Verse 34: "Do not be anxious about tomorrow."
But that is the negative way of stating the main point of this passage. There is a positive way found in verse 33-namely, instead of being anxious, "Seek first the kingdom of God." In other words, when you think about your life or your food or your clothes - or your spouse or your job or your mission - don't fret about them. Instead, make God the King in that affair and in that moment. That is, hand over the situation to His kingly power, and do His righteous will with the confidence that He will work for you and meet all your needs. If we believe in the kingship of our heavenly Father, we do not need to be anxious about anything. Virtually everything else in this series which will be following is support for Jesus' demand.
In the following sessions I will be stating at least eight reasons Jesus gives for His disciples not to be anxious.
Hope you all do have a wonderful and blessed week ahead. May the God Almighty bless you all and keep you in all your ways.
Please uphold this sinner in your prayers.
Your Brother in Christ Jesus
Jobin George
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