The sticky note on my phone isn't telling me I need to seek out my phone first. I already do that naturally. Some days I think it must be surgically attached to my hand I am on it so much. I have to check the news apps, FB, Instagram, emails, my farm, texts, create some bible verse quotes, read my virtual stack of kindle books and then of course I check my daily bible reading plan and my youversion verse of the day....
I found myself worried last night. Worried I wasn't getting it all done. (Whatever it is??? I think it might be my never ending lists and lists of lists I make for myself. My husband said this is why he doesn't make lists!) Worried about the normal things, my kids, my health, my family, my friends, my church... What if this happens? What if that? I like to start at the worst case scenario in my head and then if I can solve that I will be ok.... But I can't solve it. Never on my own... So then I am back to worry. Worry creeps into fear and then slowly begins to strangle my mind, until I am so flustered and I usually end up crying. In Matthew chapters 5,6 and 7. Jesus is giving an amazing sermon. It speaks so perfectly to every area of life. Today though, I want you to simply focus on 6:33. He just told us in the previous verses don't be anxious about your life... About what you eat, drink, wear.... Don't be anxious about how you will be provided for, how those bills will be met, how the kids will get new clothes... Well that's easy for Him to say right? He is the Son of God! He has no worries! Have you ever had those friends who tell you just don't eat that donut. Just don't worry. Just don't think about that fear. Just don't do whatever it is that you are fighting not to do. Yeah it's just that easy right??? No, not really. I think it's hard to diet, to not fear, to not have anxiety, to not let my thoughts fester in my mind. I think it's hard to just not sin! But the cool thing about Jesus is He doesn't just tell you hey don't do this. He tells you how to not do it. Seek first! Seek God, His kingdom, His righteousness first and He will add all these things to your life. You can't keep worrying when you are praying. You can't keep stressing when you are reading your bible and asking God to speak to you. You can't keep wondering what exactly it is you are to do and how to do it when He is telling you His plans and His direction in the bible. You can't be stressed, frustrated, bummed out, discouraged, when you are looking into His wonderful face and worshipping him! You can't be consumed with your own agenda when you have made Him Lord over your life and by Lord I mean master, creator, ordainer, the one in absolute control.
My kids have no lists. No real stress. No real anxiety or fear about their lives. They don't wake up thinking of all they have to do in each day.... Why? Because I am in control. I always make sure there is food for them. I provide them clothes, shoes, toiletries and other basic needs. I remind them to brush their teeth. I set the time they sit and do school. I remind them to read and pray. I teach them everything they need to know for that day. Some days they climb in the car not having any idea of where we are going, what we will do when we get there, and yet they never worry. The don't wonder if there is gas in the car, did mom remember my favorite snack and blankie? Will mom keep me safe? Will mom know where she is going? Every day my kids show the example to me of what it looks like to completely trust someone with their life. God tells us over and over in His Word, that He is Faithful, Trustworthy, He is love beyond what we can fathom.... And here in Matthew 6:33 he gives the simple answer to how we live without fear, without anxiety, without the worry of where our next meal will come from... Seek First! That's it.... Simply Seek Him First.
So the sticky note on my phone isn't telling me that all my answers lie in my phone... It's telling me before I plug back into the world, before I check out everything that happened all night long while I slept, before I see who liked my photos and thought my comments were funny. Seek First! Seek Him First!
Take the Seek First challenge.... Unplug from the world. Find some time to be quiet. Start with a simple prayer of asking God, through his Holy Spirit to teach you then.... Open your bible and read, start in one place and read. Keep reading everyday until you have read through the whole bible. Then pick it up and start over again. I start in Matthew and read through the NT first. I like to keep track and so I use a plan that I printed out from my church website www.mvcf.com 90day plan. I like to have a pen and notebook handy so I can write some of my questions and write some of His answers.
The answer to your anxiety, fear, worry and stress really is that simple.... Are you up for the Seek First challenge?
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