Do not worry
Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash
The world seems to be very unsettled at the moment. Here in the UK, the ‘cost of living crisis’ and long waiting times to see a doctor are just two areas that make life difficult for many.
Globally, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East continue, causing pain and distress, and recently the powerful earthquake in Myanmar caused catastrophic devastation.
Last week US President, Donald Trump, announced sweeping tariffs on goods imported from the rest of the world. The global market was shaken and various countries affected are seeing how to retaliate.
I spoke to a few people who were concerned that their pension funds were losing money as a result of the Trump tariffs.
In unsettling times like this, I find my mind can wander and I begin to worry about how it affects me and my family, the people I care about as well as the global instability.
However, I have to stop myself going down ‘Worry Street’ by bringing my focus back to God. I have found strength and comfort in these words of Jesus…
“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? 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? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
Jesus encouraged his listeners to look around and see how Father God provided for the birds. In other words, He was saying that God is not only their provider, but ours also.
It’s all about perspective and trust. If we see that God is a good father who is fully capable of providing for us, we can then trust Him to provide what we need both now and in the future.
When our children were little, they did not worry about where their food came from, or what clothes they were going to wear, as we, their parents provided it for them.
Sometimes that meant blessing them with treats, and on other occasions saying no to them if they wanted a massive bag of sweets!
God knows what we need. Worrying stops us from seeing this and can block our trust in Him.
Let me encourage you to read and consider these verses from the Bible. Bring your worries before God and see what He has to say about it.
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader