MUSIC BLOG 03-20-2025

MUSIC BLOG

March 20, 2025

Don’t Worry!

Matthew 6:25-27

New King James Version

Do Not Worry

²⁵ “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? ²⁶ 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? ²⁷ Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

A friend of mine was sharing with a group of senior saints the other day.  As part of her testimony she described her life coming up as a Baptist young person in rural America.  She grew up far from the city and far from ways of finding out about the world except through books.  She remembered attending a church meeting where the moderator talked about Baptist Retirement homes.  Because of her lack of experience and knowledge she thought they were talking about places where old pastors go to die!  She said that her eyes were opened up as a freshman in college in many ways.  One way was that her good friend was a practicing Catholic.  She often went with her friend to church and was intrigued by the ritual and beauty of the service.  When it came time for lent, my friend was mesmerized.  She had never heard of lent and its history and practice set up for a lifetime of reflection every year during the Lenten season.

Although she soon realized that many Catholics replaced a personal relationship with Jesus for the beauty of the service and rituals, she continued to practice giving something up for Lent each year.  However, rather than giving up a food item she looked for things in her life that were either a distraction from her walk with Christ or were a hindrance. Worry is something she would give up for lent.  Negative thoughts are something that she has endeavored to give up.  As she spoke I was struck by the simple yet effective way of celebrating the season.

 My personal Bible study has been a deep look into the life of David.  This week we are looking at David’s failures.  As a boy, young man, warrior, King, and father David had many many victories. The Bible is quick to show how much God loved David and how much David loved God.  However, the Bible is just as quick to show David’s failures.  It is in the times of failure that we learn how David sought God’s forgiveness and re-established God on the throne of his life.  The author of the study pointed us back to James 1:14

¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

There is a progression of sin.  Desire leads to action, which leads to death.  Other scriptures remind ourselves that desires often start with a glance as in David’s situation.  Sometimes you read a scripture, and it just sticks with you.  You can’t shake it no matter how hard you try.  This is that scripture for me.  I have read it many times and have memorized it as different times in my life.  This week I went in a different direction.  Instead of focusing on the glance or the desire I let my mind consider the outcome first. Am I overcome with anger, greed, selfishness, lust, sloth, stubbornness? Do these things fill my mind and I find I can’t help myself from acting on these thoughts?  Where did that action start?  That is the question I have been wrestling with.  In the summer I spend a few weeks in the spring pulling weeds.  I love a beautiful lawn.  I hate weeds.  Weeds are easier to control when they are small. If you take a little time each day to pull weeds it pays off in the summer with a weed-free lawn.  Desire is not a sin; a glance is not a sin.  Acting on a sinful desire is sin. Sin leads to death.  Scripture is trying to teach us that we have more power over sin than we imagine.  It may be impossible to stop from blowing your stack at someone in the moment.  But Scripture says that anger started way before you blew your stack.  Would it be transformational for you to stop at the glance or even acknowledge the untoward desire to God before you choose to act? Maybe our best self-denial would be to refuse to let a glance or desire grow into a sin. 

May your season of Lent be free from the evil we crave and may we all become more like Jesus is our life, love and sacrifice.

Blessings

Marty