Thursday, July 12, 2012

acting as if there’s no GOD…

matthew 6.31 (nlt), so don’t worry about these things, saying, “what will we eat? what will we drink? what will we wear?”  these things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly FATHER already knows all your needs. 

GOD says, i know you need those things.  don’t worry like unbelievers. don’t worry like somebody who doesn’t believe, somebody who doesn’t have any faith. 

not only is worry unreasonable, unnatural, unhelpful, and unnecessary.  but worry is un CHRISTian.  HE says nonbelievers have a right to worry.  they ought to.  they’re trying to make it through the world on their own effort.  they’re created by GOD for a purpose but go through life ignoring GOD and that purpose. i’d worry too! 

but the bible says that CHRISTians are different.  we don’t have to worry because we’re trusting a heavenly FATHER who promises to take care of us.  GOD is saying, “you’re MY children but you’re acting like a bunch of orphans.  I want to take care of you.” 

i love the phrase, your heavenly FATHER already knows all your needs yet how often do we act like GOD is totally unaware that the house payment is coming up next week and that the car’s broken down and two of the kids are sick and that taxes are coming around the corner.  we act as if it all depends on us.  JESUS is saying, “don’t act like that.  that’s unCHRISTian.  that’s acting like there’s no such thing as GOD.”

worry really is practical atheism.  it’s acting as if there’s no GOD.  it’s saying, “i believe that GOD’s not really real and HE can’t take of my needs or HE won’t take care of my needs, therefore i’ve got to help myself out of this mess.”  and we begin, “i think that it all depends on ourselves, and we begin to take matters into our own hands and we begin to assume that we’ve got to figure it all out.  summed up in two words it’s playing GOD.  worry is playing GOD.  worry is assuming responsibility that GOD never intended for you to have in the first place.  HE says, “relax and trust me.”

just a thought from the front porch…

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