From the Desk of Steven Hauer
Did you know that anxiety and depression are on the rise the world over, across all demographics and age groups? For those of us over forty, it is often the result of being raised to be independent, stand on our own two feet, relying on no one but ourselves. That made for some pretty successful Type A’s, but it also resulted in an inability to surrender to the Lord. For many, it seemed nearly impossible to truly trust Him, to depend on Him, making that kind of total dependence look like weakness. And today’s teens and young adults are at the opposite end of that spectrum. Child development experts tell us that many parents today haven’t given their children the foundations they need to be self-reliant or live independent lives. Both sides of that coin have resulted in the same issues and there is only one answer for both.
In Matthew 13:22, Jesus (Yeshua) tells the story of four different seeds representing four kinds of people in His Kingdom. Person number three is portrayed by seed that was choked out by the “cares of this world.” This poor guy worried himself right out of the Kingdom of God! His preoccupation with the worries of the world kept God’s word from becoming firmly implanted in his heart and life. The more he focused on the world around him, worrying constantly, the more anxious he became. If only he had taken seriously the nearly 400 scriptures that encourage us to cast our cares, our anxieties, on the Lord because He cares for us.
I have to admit, I can be a worrier. But when I feel anxiety lurking, Matthew 6:25-34 is one of my favorite go-to passages: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry 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? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
When Jesus (Yeshua) spoke those words, the nation of Israel was under Roman domination. Life was very difficult, religious liberty was limited and crucifixions were rampant as were poverty and oppression. There was plenty to worry about. But He wanted His listeners (including us) to understand the incredible love of God and the absolute assurance we have that our lives matter to Him. He sees us. He hears us. And He will never forsake us.
So Yeshua began His discourse talking about our lives. “Why do you worry about your life?” He asks. Life is so much more than food or clothing! Your life is a beautiful, miraculous thing, meant to be enjoyed in relationship with the God who loves you. And it is not really yours. Like everything else, it is a gift. You didn’t create it, and you can’t sustain it. He gave it to you, not for you to squander on fear and worry, but to appreciate and enjoy, walking with Him in joyful surrender.
Then He spoke of our value. Any idea how many species of birds exist today? It is estimated that there are over 11,000 of them which results in millions of our feathered friends blanketing the earth every year. God created every one of them and He cares for them faithfully. How much more will he care for you who is not just a beautiful, feathered creature, but the one who bears his image? In the Torah, the Israelites were forbidden from making a “graven” image. Unlike their pagan neighbors, they were not to create a likeness of deity. Why? Because He had already created it: mankind. His likeness was not to be of lifeless stone, but a living, breathing image capable of joy and love, laughter, kindness, passion and trust. You are that image, chosen to carry His likeness to a world in desperate need of His love. Trust that nothing is more precious to Him than your life, and heed Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.”
There are lots of reasons to refrain from worry. Doctors tell us it is suspected of causing a myriad of health conditions including heart disease, cancer, ulcers, stress disorders and mental illness.
But more importantly, it ignores God’s constant demonstrations of faithfulness. He is caring for us relentlessly, and what He has done, He will continue to do. Our Matthew 6 passage spoke of flowers, and nowhere on earth is there a better place to appreciate that example than in Israel. The country is ablaze with color, beautiful flowers in all shapes and sizes. Flowers that bloom every year, predictably as the sunrise, because He cares for them. Every blossom, every petal shouts, “Don’t worry! He cares for us, surely He will care for you.”
It is true we live in a world of profound beauty. But it is also true that we, like ancient Israel, have plenty to worry about, if we so choose. I think the better choice is trust. Of course, everyone lives by some kind of trust, even the atheist. We trust that we will be able to take our next breath, if we hit the switch the light will come on, if we push the button the car will start, if we put one foot in front of the other we will walk. So the question is not will we trust, but in whom. Will we focus on the world around us, letting its cares drag us down into worry and anxiety? Or will we see in the world around us the faithfulness of God? Will we stop trying to do it ourselves and then worrying because we can’t? The antidote to the world’s anxiety is trust in the God of the universe and in His sovereignty. Not a single one of those birds, or a petal from one of those flowers, falls to the ground without His awareness. He is not surprised by the wars and rumors of wars that proliferate the news or the economic uncertainty that wracks the nations. He knows your every need and desire; remember, He sees you and He hears you. Surrendering to Him, depending on Him, is not a sign of weakness. It is the only true strength.
Blessings and Shalom,
Issachar Community