Don't Worry

 

[Jesus said] “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? 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? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:25-34 ESV).

 

I found this image recently. I thought it was apropos as I have been writing about our life-story and the challenges we face in our lives. I am aware that I return to this theme often. Perhaps that’s a direct result of my working with so many people who are struggling in some area of their life at the moment. It may be a financial challenge, or some relational difficulty. Whatever the specific issue, the result is always the same. I am often reminded of the pain of life’s challenges. Jesus has a very clear message in our reading today. Several times in our reading today Jesus says, “Do not worry,” or “Do not be anxious.”

 

Yet simply telling an anxious person to stop being anxious rarely helps. I know no one who is anxious who makes an intentional choice to be that way. So what is Jesus trying to communicate to us? Why, then, would Jesus say this? His words run much deeper than simply saying “Stop it.” He reminds us that there are things beyond our control that require us to trust in God’s care and provision. I’ve had to learn this lesson repeatedly in life. I’ve never been in charge. Yet my humanity wants desperately to be in control. My insecurity drives my desire for control, and realizing that I’m not in control intensifies my insecurity. The inevitable result is anxiety. Jesus points out that God provides abundantly for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. God cares deeply for all of his creation. So we can be confident that God will certainly provide for us. And with God’s providence comes his amazing power to reset our focus in life. We cannot get past our anxiety without knowing that God, who is in control, also loves us and knows what is best for us —­ always.

Tell Your Story

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he [Jesus] said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-38 ESV).

 

The more we read the Bible in terms of stories, the more we discover how important story-telling is for us today. The church has a long tradition of storytelling (we often call it testimony), but we can easily lose sight of that. Sometimes we get the mistaken idea that biblical doctrine is the most important thing to talk about. We listen to doctrinal sermons and talk about doctrine in our Bible classes. Biblical doctrines are crucial, since without them our stories will quickly wander off-track. But the doctrines of the Bible are only the backdrop against which the real action takes place. The Master Storyteller is weaving our lives into his story of making all things new.

 

When you worship with fellow Christians, you’re not just attending a meeting; you’re telling stories. As Scripture is read, you’re recounting the story of what God has done, and as its teachings are applied, you’re setting the stage for the next chapter in God’s story. Also, as believers share together in conversation, they fill each other in on the past week’s development in the story that God has been creating in their lives. Even family conversations over dinner can and should be a testimony of what God has done that day. We can easily miss this at times, relegating any conversation about God to the pastor’s sermon. Our conversations should not deteriorate into mere small talk.

 

So, let’s experiment a bit. In a comment below, or an email and/or message, tell the story of what God has been doing in your life recently. Whether it has been painful or not, whether it has been difficult or not, tell the story. At the very least we can then understand each other in a greater depth and pray for one another in a way that will lead to a sharing of the burdens we feel. I know your story will be essential to all of us… and I know it will be just what we need to hear at this moment in our lives. That’s imply how God works!

 

 

Scrumdidlyumptious!

 

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for is good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13 ESV).

 

“Scrumdidilyumptious” is just one of the words that came to exist as a result of a children’s film. This one comes from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” It is a musical fantasy from 1971 directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder. The film tells the story of a poor child named Charlie Bucket who, after finding a Golden Ticket in a chocolate bar, visits Willy Wonka's chocolate factory along with four other children from around the world. It is a great story that catches the viewer by surprise as Charlie ends up inheriting the entire factory because of his moral decision to confess his violation of the rules of the “contest.” It is full of fantasy, and yet seems to describe the incredible ending of our stories. The great difference is that we did not first confess. Jesus paid for our sin and set the wheels in motion for our inheritance.

 

A good story always has a way of catching you by surprise, even if you know how the story ends. Classic fairy tales have become very familiar in many cultures, yet those same stories have kept generations of children wanting to hear them again and again. Classic novels and movies have become familiar to many of us also, yet they still keep us on the edge of our seats. Though these stories may become familiar, they still manage to catch us by surprise, and we appreciate the complex twists and turns of the story lines. We know how these stories turn out, but the suspense still seems to grab us.

 

God’s gospel stories are no different. While the familiar death-to-life theme surfaces often, we can still be swept up in a story’s suspense and action. And we often forget some of the details, even if we’ve heard the stories since we were children. We have that. The stories of our lives show an unbroken pattern of God’s faithfulness, even in hard times. Yet we still forget. With each new challenge or crisis, we find ourselves wondering whether God will really come through one more time. When that happens, we need some­one to remind us what’s really going on. That’s what the apostle Paul does in our reading for today. Follow through on your salvation because deep down you can trust where this story is going: God is working in you for his good purpose. It will end in a scrumdidlyuptious delight!

 

Buffets in the Graveyard

 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. (Romans 8:18-24 ESV).

 

The picture you see attached to today’s devotional is taken in an old church cemetery. It is known as a “tabletop tombstone.” Many people have lost track of the historic significance of these markers. Cemeteries, as always, were where the departed loved ones lay, many of them young. A stroll through any well established cemetery will reveal a high number of children and young adults who were interred there upon their death. Families took a much more active part in caring for these places. It would not have been unusual a few decades ago to see people make trips to the cemeteries where they would keep up with the flowers, cleaning the tombstones, and raking leaves that may have fallen on the grounds. For a more thorough cleaning, annual gatherings were scheduled for the families still living to gather at the gravesites. And, rather than mourners standing, hands clasped, as they whispered conversations with the dead, picnics and celebrations were held among the stones. These “tabletop tombstones” served as the picnic tables for the food to be set out as people used the time to recount the many memories of those who had died. All of such times have been festive times filled with joy rather than sorrow.

 

That’s how it ought to be. Yesterday I wrote that our life-story would end well. Knowing that, it ought to be easier for us to trust every experience in life into the hands of the One who will make it good. However, most of the time we don’t really want to have someone else taking charge of our lives. Of course, it should sound outrageous for us to rebel directly against the authority of God in our lives. More ­often we try subtler approaches, pretending to follow God’s way while in our hearts we keep our distance from him. It all boils down to a simple point: We are terrible at trusting God to be God. We’d rather manage on our own and mess things up. Perhaps it’s time in your life to make a more intentional effort to trust the good that God has already determined to be performed in your life.

 

Our Life-Story

 

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:13-16 ESV).

 

I have written four books, thousands of sermons and devotionals, and not once did I not know how each was going to end. Our reading today details our life-story. There is no doubt as to the author. God wrote each of our stories. In fact David tells us that they were “intricately woven” and “fearfully and wonderfully” designed. Even though this is true we still find a way of easily missing the stories God has written for our lives. Winston Churchill once famously claimed that history was simply “one … thing after another.” In other words, he claimed there was no story behind our experiences in life, only a series of events. Few things are more deadening to your soul than thinking that your life ulti­mately means little more than one thing after another.

 

Yet that’s how we often feel. On many days we view our jobs or careers or families as where we have “ended up” in life. In fact, it can seem a bit presumptuous to think there’s some master plan behind whatever situation you are in right now. My youngest son has been home visiting with us for the past few days. It was a wonderful time. He gave me an early birthday present that he had ordered and brought with him. To my delighted surprise it was an Ancestry DNA kit. It was surprisingly easy to use and I am looking forward to the results. There was also an optional opportunity to fill out a detailed life-style which we then generally grouped into the population in a percentage format. Finding my comparative matching lifestyle was interesting.

 

But back to the first truth in today’s reading. The Bible tells us that the events of our lives make sense because they are part of a much larger story. The struggles of last month or the victories that we may claim in the next few weeks are not simply chance occurrences. They are part of a story line that is going somewhere. The work you do, the people you share life with, the abilities you have, and the weaknesses you struggle with are all part of a collection of ele­ments intended to make for a really good story, the story of you ... God’s story of you. We know the ultimate ending. It will good in every way. That’s what makes it such a great story to tell!