He Cares for You, Part 3

"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”

Matthew 6:27

What a forthright statement for Jesus to make in Matthew 6:27. Who, by being worried,

can add a single hour to their life? Obviously, the answer is no one! Isn’t it funny,

though, that for many people, worry may never have added a single hour to their lives,

but it certainly served to take away many moments, didn’t it? A heart attack, a stress-

related illness, perhaps other sudden or slowly onset problems have come and claimed

the lives of people because of their worry.

Now just take a moment today and pause to consider that two-sided coin. Worry cannot

add any time to your life, but it can shorten it. Worry comes from convincing ourselves

sometimes, though, that if we don’t worry, we will lose it all. Haven’t you ever done that?

Not only do we get anxious, but there are times where we sell ourselves on the lie that

worry is not a symptom of mistrust, but the antidote to our problems! I need to worry if

no one else will! Strangely, we may actually have become accustomed to being stressed out, almost like it is a comfort zone even though it’s anything but that.

Jesus cares about you and your life, and what becomes of you, and what happens as a

result of your presence here. Worry is derived from taking our eyes off of Him, from

doubting He will come through, from telling ourselves that we need things He isn’t giving

us right now, and as another devo I wrote mentioned, from placing too much value on

things that simply may not be what God wants us to care about to the extent that we do.

Stop and think about it, even right now. What benefit is worry adding to your life? How is

it helping you solve problems? How is it taking away from your relationship with God?

How is it affecting your relationships with other people? How is it even perhaps

contributing to your health issues or length of life?

Does God want you to worry? No. Does Satan want you to worry? Yes. Who will you

listen to?

God, please help me to trust you, and to remember that worry does not add a single

hour to my life.

Be blessed.

Sam Stringer