Worrying about the what ifs

Matthew 6:25-27 (ESV)

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?

Today we took our car into the shop to get the air-conditioning repaired. As we waited to pick up the car I remembered a story I read about a little boy.

The following is the story. When I was a boy, we had pre-air-conditioning features on our car called “wings.” Little vertical windows that directed outside air into the car. Open the wing and air would hit the glass and fly into the car.

The downside was that the wing also directed anything that was flying in the air into the car.

One Sunday a bee hit the wing, was jettisoned into the car and got caught in my sweater. I began screaming, “A bee! Agh! Mom! It’s a bee! I’m gonna die!”

“Pipe down!” my sympathetic mom shouted.” If you don’t bother the bee, it won’t bother you.”

I didn’t know what bothered a bee.

What if the bee didn’t want to go to church?

Certainly any bee that just hit a piece of glass at 60 mph would be bothered already.

The “what ifs” of life often paralyze us.

What if the stock market crashes?

What if I lose my job?

Here’s what the Bible says about that kind of worry.

“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?

God gives the best antidote to worry:

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Dear Lord, help us to seek You first above all things in live that try to get us off track. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.