I've often found myself telling God, "It's easy for you to say, Lord"—only to find myself completely mistaken in what I'm thinking. Like anyone, I've struggled in seeing God as a down-to-earth Father who knows and feels our pain.
One particular thing I've struggled with is worrying. I have to admit that I am one of the biggest worry warts (not that I'm proud of it). Sometimes when I catch myself worrying, I think in my head, "It's easy for you to say, Lord. There aren't any bills to pay in heaven," or, "It's easy for you to say, Lord. People won't go for your head when things go wrong."
These thoughts were with me until I came across a deeply liberating revelation—one that seemed too obvious but one that I missed for so long. Maybe you've realised this as well, but I want to go ahead and share with you a couple of thoughts on the idea of worry.
Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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?"
When Jesus preached this message, we tend to forget that at the time He was saying this He was still a human being. He had limitations, He'd get hungry, He also needed money and things didn't seemingly always go His way.
But what really hit me in a powerful way was this: Jesus never worried. He had all the reason to since all of humanity's survival rested on His shoulders—and He knew that. But in the midst of it all, He had no anxiety.
He didn't worry when the storm hit their boat. He didn't worry when they had nothing to feed the thousands of people. He didn't worry when He knew Judas would betray Him; He even invited Judas to stay closer to Him. He didn't worry when He was on His way to the cross. Instead, He prayed to the Father.
If there's anyone with any reason to worry, it's God. But He doesn't. With all the things that are happening in this world today, He remains steadfast and at peace. This is because His nature is peace. And because God never worries, we are assured that it is possible to live a life free of worry.
Of course I know it takes time to free our minds from worries. We're all works in progress. I'm a work in progress myself and only slowly being freed from one worry after another. But there is liberation from worry because God's nature is free of it. As we come to the worry-free Saviour and take on His light yoke (Matthew 11:29), we will come to see our own heavy burdens fade in His peace, love and grace.
