Don’t Be So Jammed Up
Don’t Be So Jammed Up
Categories: RECENT RESEARCH
Economic unrest. Job loss. Illness. Wars. The deaths of precious lives.
Uncertainty of the future.
Panic. Fear. Anxiety. Worry.
These must have also been issues in Jesus’ day. Five times in Matthew chapter 6 He uses the expression, “Take no thought”. (Matthew 6:25-34 KJV) “No thought” for… our lives… for what we will eat… what we will drink. Even about what we will wear.
The original Greek meaning behind this phrase does not mean mindless existence. Proverbs 21:5 ESV teaches us that “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance…” It’s important to plan. This phrase, “take no thought” would better be interpreted as do not be anxious or worried to the point of “fretting”.
Jesus then uses a simple and yet profound example. The “birds of the air”. They do not sow seeds. They don’t reap a harvest. Neither do they “store up” for the future. And yet, “your heavenly Father feeds them.” (Matthew 6:26 ESV)
So what is Jesus really teaching us? In Matthew 6:32 we are reminded that our heavenly Father knows that we have a need for food and clothing. Then he brings it all together in Matthew 6:33 ESV — “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Rather than seeking our “day to day” needs out of a sense of desperation, Jesus is admonishing us to seek Godly attributes first and foremost.
In the early days of the Billy Graham crusades, Ethel Waters mesmerized thousands with her amazing alto voice as she sang, “I sing because I’m happy… I sing because I’m free. For His eye is on the sparrow — and I know, He watches, me…”
Relax. Allow faith in your heavenly Father to replace fear and fretting. No matter what, trust in His goodness. Let him calm your troubled spirit. Consider the birds of the air.
It just might turn your life around.
Tim Clinton, Ed. D., LPC, LMFT (The College of William and Mary) is President of the nearly 50,000-member American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), the largest and most diverse Christian counseling association in the world. He is Professor of Counseling and Pastoral Care, and Executive Director of the Center for Counseling and Family Studies at Liberty University. Licensed in Virginia as both a Professional Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist, Tim now spends a majority of his time working with Christian leaders and professional athletes. He is recognized as a world leader in faith and mental health issues and has authored over 20 books including Breakthrough: When to Give In, When to Push Back. Most importantly, Tim has been married 36 years to his wife Julie and together they have two children, Megan, who is married to Ben Allison and is practicing medicine in dermatology, and Zach, who plays baseball at Liberty University. In his free time, you’ll find him outdoors or at a game with family and friends.