Hurried, Worried, Buried

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."

— Matthew 6:34

 

The epitaph could be written on countless American gravestones: "Hurried, worried, buried." We spend our lives full of anxiety and frustration and worry.

Martha is a classic example of someone who was overly anxious. Jesus often visited the home of Martha, her sister Mary, and her brother Lazarus in Bethany. On one such occasion, Martha was slaving away in the kitchen when Mary decided it was a great opportunity to sit at the Lord's feet. Martha got frustrated because she thought Mary was being idle and lazy. So she said to Jesus, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me" (Luke 10:40).

Jesus told her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41–42). In other words, there is a time for work and there is a time for worship.

No Worries!

"So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs."

— Matthew 6:31–32

 

A poll was taken in which Americans were asked what they worry about the most. The number-one response was, "My appearance." They may lose their house. They may lose their life savings. They may get wiped off the earth in a nuclear blast. But the real concern is, "How do I look in this outfit?" Things don't change much. Two thousand years ago, Jesus said, "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs" (Matthew 6:31–32). Fast-forward to today, and the number-one concern is the outward.

What do you worry about the most? What causes you the greatest stress? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us why we should not worry, and what we should do instead. Then He concludes with this statement: "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need" (Matthew 6:33).

God's Signature

And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

— John 1:42

 

When Andrew brought his brother Simon Peter to Jesus, He looked at him and gave him a new name. Jesus didn't do that with other people. He didn't give out names right off the bat. But Jesus looked at Simon Peter and gave him a new name, Rock (see John 1:42).

I wonder if the others thought, Rock? Is this a joke? What does He mean, "Rock?" When you think of the word "rock," you think of something that is solid and dependable and trustworthy. Peter was hotheaded and impulsive and too quick to speak.

Yet when the Bible tells us Jesus looked at Peter, it could be translated to read that Jesus looked right through him. Jesus knew what He was getting with Simon. He knew that Peter would one day let Him down. He knew that Peter would one day deny Him. But He also knew that one day Peter would grow into that new name. He knew that one day Peter would preach the gospel on the Day of Pentecost, and 3,000 people would believe.

Spiritual Body Language

We are engaged in a spiritual battle. There is no escaping it. The question is: do we want to win or lose on the battlefield of life?

Let's consider the breastplate of righteousness. If this piece of our spiritual body armor is missing, we will be cut down quickly in the spiritual war.

Paul speaks of the breastplate of righteousness in Ephesians 6:14: "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness" (NKJV).

For the Roman soldier, the breastplate was essential. It was basically a tough piece of leather with animal horn or hoof pieces sewn into it.

The piece went from the neck to the abdomen, and it protected the vital organs, including the heart. One well-placed blow here or to the head and it's done—party's over—and you just became a casualty.

Our modern equivalent would be body armor or the bulletproof vest.

To wear the breastplate of righteousness is simply recognizing we have Christ's righteousness in our life. The Bible says, "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19 NKJV).

Come and See

One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).

— John 1:40–41

 

You would think the endorsement of Jesus by John the Baptist would be enough. But not for Andrew. Andrew was the cautious type. He didn't do something just because someone else did it. He had to know for himself.

I can almost see a comical situation when Andrew began following Jesus—literally. Maybe he was following a little too closely. Have you ever had someone walk so closely behind you they were almost breathing down your neck? There was Jesus, walking along with Andrew right behind him, along with another disciple of John's. Finally Jesus stopped, turned, and said to them, "What do you seek?" (John 1:38). Andrew didn't know what to say, so he asked Jesus where He lived. Jesus invited them to come and see.

Andrew went and saw, and from that time on, he never stopped following Jesus. The thing about Andrew is that once he knew something was true, he wanted to tell others. So he went and told his brother, Simon Peter.

We all will meet people like Andrew. You tell them about Jesus, and they will say, "I don't know."

So we will say, "Well, you need to know. You need to decide." But be patient with people. Don't try to rush the conversion process. The Bible says, "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient" (2 Timothy 2:24). Sometimes we want to put the pressure on. We want to get a result. But if a person can be pressured into a decision, they can be pressured out. If they can be argued in, they can be argued out. Let God convert them. Let's just live the life and be the example. They will follow Jesus when it is time for them to follow.