The Secret Life
of Successful Christians
Introduction:
"Beware
of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by
them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven."
-Matthew 6:1
In chapter 6 of Matthew, Jesus is giving us practical
instruction on Christian living. Specifically, He causes us to focus on our
motives. Whom, exactly, are we trying to please? It is entirely possible, it
seems, to spend a lifetime doing "righteous" things and yet, not be
right with God. Jesus tells us to "beware" of the temptation to live
for the applause of people. He further tells us, that if that is our
motivation, we forfeit any heavenly reward.
PART 6: Replacing
Worry with Trust
25
"Therefore I tell you, 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? 26 Look at the birds of
the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by
being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you
anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they
neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field,
which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much
more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying,
'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For
the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that
you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be added to you. 34 "Therefore do not be anxious
about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day
is its own trouble. [Mat 6:25-34 ESV]
The Context: Money
Money is the context of this passage about worry. Whether in a
modern American setting or in Judea 2000 years ago, worry about finances seems
to be a constant of the human condition. Fear of poverty can drive people to do
many things. Such as:
1.
Neglect the
ones they love in pursuit of money.
2.
Neglect the
things of God in pursuit of money.
3.
Behave
stingily toward charity.
4.
Fail to meet
today's needs because they are hoarding “for a rainy day”.
Jesus states
very bluntly, “You cannot serve God and money.”
Three specific things Jesus tells us not to worry about.
Jesus lists specifically what he does not want us to worry
about.
1.
Life. The
word Jesus uses here is the Greek word “psyche” and it refers to the
human soul. He tells us (as believers)
not to worry about our life, for it is an eternal thing. Your body may waste
away with sickness, but your soul never will. He is telling us not to fret
about things like position or purpose. Only in eternity will we know why he
guided our steps as he did, and the impact our lives have had.
2.
Eat and
Drink. If God is able to feed the birds who do not even have a concept of
tomorrow, can't he feed us also?
3.
Clothing. If
God clothes the grass of the field with flowers, can't he clothe us?
Our Pursuit: The Kingdom of God
He tells us to seek first His kingdom and leave the rest to Him.
Now the practical question is this: “What does my pursuit of his kingdom look
like?”
1.
How do I
spend my time?
2.
How do I
spend my money?
3.
What are my
priorities in life?
4.
What are my
instincts when I am faced with a crisis?
“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at
hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” [Phl
4:5-6 ESV]
To go to the next series "The Public Lives of Successful Christians" click HERE.
To go to the next series "The Public Lives of Successful Christians" click HERE.
