Saturday, December 18, 2010

Naked Worry

“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? (Matthew 6:27-30, NKJV).

Clothing in the pre-industrial world was more about protection and privilege than fashion. It kept you warm, guarded you against the elements and/or announced your station in life. The more lavish the garments, the more prestigious the person. That's why human royalty, from Nod and Enoch, through Great Britain, went to great lengths to display their regal power with their clothing. Jesus exemplifies His point about luxurious raiment by using Solomon, the wisest and perhaps richest man in ancient history. And while we are given to understand that Solomon arrayed himself and his court in glorious apparel, even his wardrobe paled in comparison  to a common wildflower.

That's the thing about human endeavor - it cannot compare to what God has wrought in nature. Our most complex technology cannot replicate the functionality of the simplest viral cell, nor can the most complicated computer even approach the thought processes of the youngest child. There is nothing that humankind can achieve that can ever rival God's unfathomable works. It reminds me of the venerable Creationist joke which recounts a futile contest to create life between God and the most brilliant earthly scientists in the most advanced laboratory imaginable. As the contest is about to begin, a voice sounds from Heaven asking the Head Scientist, "What's that stuff in the beaker?" "Why, it's dirt, obtained and refined from the deepest ocean floor which, we have discovered through much research and analysis, contains the foundational ingredients for all life on this planet." "Well, I know that, son, I put it there," the voice replied. "Use your own dirt!"

And the same Intelligence and Power that fashions the glories of nature promises to care for those who are His own, down to the very clothing they wear.

Worry is one of the most useless activities in which a child of God can engage, as well as a proclamation of a lack of faith. It is, in fact, sin; "…for whatever is not from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23, NKJV). Many of us are taught from early childhood to "sweat the details" of our responsibilities. To agonize over contingencies and possibilities, and to strive to control all the variables so that the intended outcome manifests in reality. For a person who is not saved by grace through faith, such attempts at micromanagement might make sense. But to a child of God, they are absolute futility.

That is not to say that we are, in any way, to "tempt God" by being irresponsible stewards of His gifts to us. It is to say that the outcome of our efforts, and even, or perhaps especially, our God-given motivation and energy to make such efforts, are in His hands. It is so easy to look around at the billion details of daily life and to either be overwhelmed and throw up our hands in defeat, or to be obsessed with getting them all done, or right, in our own strength and according to our own priorities. If you think about it for a half second in the light of God's promises and sovereignty over your life, that is just silly. "…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13, NKJV).
By worrying then, can you effect the slightest change in your life or environment? Can you "add one cubit to your stature"? Can you "make one hair white or black"? If you can't do the slightest thing by worrying, then why worry?

There is more in these verses, as well. It is not just that worrying about clothing is ridiculous, but also about the futility of worrying about the things that clothing is supposed to address: protection and prestige. Look, Scripture declares that God has your very breath in His hands, each and every moment of your life. He knows the number of your days before there was even one. He knows your comings and goings, your words, thoughts and intents of your heart.  If He chooses you to prosper or attain a powerful position in life, then He will make it come to pass, by motivating, energizing and giving you wisdom, just as He did with Solomon. He will give you favor among men, just as He did with Joseph. He will give you authority just as He did with King David. Anything and everything that you might achieve in your own strength is nothing in comparison to what He is able to accomplish in and through you. Your part is simple: trust.

What does the lily of the field need to do to be clothed in its natural golden color? Nothing; "they neither toil nor spin…".  It is God who arrays them in incomparable glory. So far in His teachings on anxiety, our Lord has declared that His children are much more valuable than both birds and grass, two aspects of His creation for which He faithfully provides, so "will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" And that is the ultimate point for a child of God, worry, anxiety, and fretting are all symptoms of unbelief. He isn't implying that we are to be presumptuous or apathetic, just trusting. Of course we are to take care, to be wise, and to plan ahead, recognizing that the future will be as God wills, but we are not to agonize over the outcome. That is up to Him.

These are gifts beyond price, beloved. It is part of entering His rest. It is part of casting our cares on Him for He cares for us. It is living our lives exactly the way Jesus demonstrated during His time on earth, in complete trust, obedience, and adoration of the One who has all power and all authority.

Does this mean that we will not suffer, or go through trials, or seasons of darkness? No. But when these things happen, because we have our foundation on the Rock of Christ, we will not collapse. He promises to sustain us, to guide us through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

Ps 4:8* I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Ps 37:7* Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Ps 94:19* In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.
Ps 138:8* The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Php 4:19* And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.