Don’t Worry …

Back in the 80’s there was the famous song, Don’t Worry, Be Happy! What do we worry about? It is all around us in many forums including work, family, mortgages and debt. Some of these things we bring on ourselves like too much debt but others are responsibilities that we must carry because of reasons external to our choosing.

In response to this, we've seen an increase in eastern religious practices such as yoga and meditation to free you mind of everything within our western communities. How do these practices cross check against our personal worldviews? Have we taken to time to understand them completely? Are they the answers to our problems to the stress problems in our communities? How do we escape the pressures of our crazy lifestyles? How do we make time for the people and things we care about? Is life only about daily survival? Is the quality of life slipping away?


In Matt 6, Jesus talks about those things that we give highest priority and encourages us to not to invest our lives and resources into things of this world that can be easily destroyed (v19). A $20k loan for a ‘new’ car = 5 years of your time. A $400k house instead of the $250k house = 10-15 years. A new lounge room fit = 2 years? If we get a healthy 50 years of adult life on this earth, are we really willing to invest so much time into our material possessions? If we have the cash for it, buy it by all means. But if we are going into excess debt for things that moth, rust and termites destroy, is our treasure (priority) really in the right place? “Where you treasure is, there your heart will be also” (v21). What we invest our time and money into clearly present us with what we value most (sport, tv, cars, relationships, travel, social status, work, animals, community, God, clothes, etc). What do your time and financial investments tell you what you value most? Are they a treasure worth investing in?

Jesus then tells us not to be anxious about of life (v25). Creation testifies to how God provides for us, particularly the birds and the flowers (v26-32). Jesus then provides the solution to all our worries, “Seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (v33).

Many may know the verse but do our choices and decisions reflect it (refer to our treasures above)? We’ve been in the anxious times ourselves but we also realize that it was a consequence of not being obedient in seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness first. We had lost perspective of Matt 6:33 and got overwhelmed with all that was going on around us. Yes, this can even happen when you are trying to serve God. Meditation is the answer to our stress and worry but ONLY meditation on the Word of God.

Don’t worry … but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness! Now there is a song worth singing and a life worth living.