2. THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF: TRUST

Sunday, February 18th

Read Matthew 6:25-34 (copied below).

Follow Jesus…

This beautiful passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus teaches the people–and us–a new way of living, being, and understanding: his way of Love. Following this way of Love will not lead us to earthly riches, power, or ease, and will be challenging or difficult at times. Yet, Jesus assures us that we need not worry. What makes his assurance especially genuine is that Jesus isn’t speaking from a comfortable place of safety and security. Facing a life of hardship, pain, ridicule, suffering, and death, Jesus still trusts in God’s good care and compassion; he trusts in every present and eternal gift of God’s kingdom.

to be the best version of myself…

When I began contemplating this passage, I turned to one of my favorite authors and read…

Faith for Jesus is the opposite of anxiety. If you are anxious, if you are trying to control everything, if you are worried about many things… you do not trust that God is on your side. The giveaway is control… God is more for you than you are for yourself. And all you can do is be open.¹

There it was… One of my hopes for Lent is to withdraw from my desire to control outcomes. I immediately sensed that I had been guided to reread these words, “if you are trying to control everything… you do not trust that God is on your side.” When I have trouble trusting in God’s Infinite Love, I know I am basing my fears, or judging my circumstances, from my limited human perspective.

God is more for you than you are for yourself.

This is an incredible assurance! When I cling to such timely and reassuring words as these, I can find peace, hope, patience, and joy. God is for me. Always.

for the world.

God, Infinite Love,
Deepen my trust in your perfect love this Lenten season, that I may be free from the worry that hinders my generosity, fosters my insecurity, and keeps me from living fully in joy and love. Guide me to say or do each next right thing and leave the outcome in your care. When my words or actions are shunned, ridiculed, ineffective, or futile, help me to keep following Jesus; to serve without reward, share without return, and live without fear.

For you are with me and for me. Always.

Our reading for Tuesday, the 20^th is Mark 10:46-52.

¹Rohr, Richard and Feister, John. Jesus’ Plan for a New World: The Sermon on the Mount. St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1996.
Photo by Karen, sunrise on a quiet path.

~~~~~

(Matthew 6:25-34, NRSVUE)

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.