Don't Worry; I love you

Please read Luke 12:22-27
Jesus asks, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” I wonder how many of his listeners caught the converse: that worrying can actually cost hours of one’s life.

I’m pretty sure Satan is a huge fan of worry. It’s cheap [for him] and effective. After all, there are so many handy things I can be tempted to worry about. And it’s an easy sell because it doesn’t require me to do anything about anything. That’s probably Satan’s favorite thing about worry: it paralyzes. It deafens my ears to God’s promises; blinds my eyes to his blessing, his work, and his leading; and sidetracks my heart from everything but my worry.

What do I get in return for my worry? A deficit—a loss of time, thought, emotion, and energy. Worry wastes huge pieces of the one life God gave me to live “to the full.” And it’s not even fun!

So why do I do it? I think I forget that I matter—and how much I matter—to God. Even though I absolutely believe God’s word and know in my head and my heart that he loves me, I think part of me is still convinced that if I don’t look out for me and mine, no one else will—including God.

“Consider the ravens,” Jesus says. “They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds.”

God doesn’t just tell me, “Don’t worry; be happy.”

Instead, he tells me, “Don’t worry; I love you. I made you. I know you better than you know yourself. I love you more than you love yourself. I know your needs. Love me, trust me, seek my kingdom. I’ll take care of you.

Krysti Hall