“A useless endeavour, if there ever was one”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Thursday, May 19, 2022
Matthew 6:25-34 (Forward, p. 21) CEV p. 989
It is probably something that almost all of us do, and yet it is among the most useless, unproductive, wasteful pursuits around. It is the habit—and habit it is—of worrying. Someone once said that most of the things that we worry about simply never come to pass, so, for this reason worry is a no-brainer, a tremendous waste of time and energy.
But this probably isn’t the best argument against worrying. Jesus comes up with an even better reason, which is that God is already taking care of us, taking care of everything. He gives two examples, the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. He asks His disciples, most certainly rhetorically, whether they have ever spotted a worried crow or pigeon or sparrow. Somehow, they seem to do very well for themselves. And that is, Jesus asserts, because God looks after them. And then He asks about the lilies of the field, think the prairie lily or a wild orchid for instance, have you ever seen anything quite as gorgeous? Even Solomon, renowned for the splendor of his apparel was not dressed so well.
Worry, Jesus says, is a sign of our lack of faith, our lack of trust in the loving care and ability of Almighty God. It illustrates a lack of confidence that God knows full well what we need and is able to provide for it. Instead of worrying, therefore, Jesus counsels us to simply concentrate on God’s kingdom and doing as God requires, and then leave all the rest to God. After all, in one sense, that is God’s job, not ours. To try to take it over and do it for Him, is one colossal waste of time and energy. It is a useless endeavour, if there ever was one. Amen.
Forward notes: “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” (verses 28b-29).
“In May, just after the snow melts, the Yampa Valley is a carpet of little yellow lilies. The lilies and every growing plant testify that God makes abundant displays of the rare and precious. The green leaves are full of cells with the pigment chlorophyll, which is used for photosynthesis, a critical process in the cycle of life. As part of the process, plants need magnesium and copper. Both are found in minute quantities in the soil. In a complex process, plants acquire these rare minerals and transport them to the right place to support life.
“We rightfully worry about climate change and the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the air, yet it, too, is rare. All plant growth, the support of the biosphere in the soil, and our food are based upon the plant’s ability to find the 0.04% of the air that is carbon dioxide and, through photosynthesis, turn it into sugar and oxygen.”
“Again and again, in all things bright and beautiful, God shows us that scarce is enough.”
MOVING FORWARD: “Do you move through life with an attitude of abundance?”