No Worries

Everyone has probably heard the phrase; no worries.  This phrase has been described as the national motto of Australia, but it is more than a motto.  It is an attitude of optimism.  This is difficult in life, with economic, political, environmental, health, financial, religious pressures.  So much, so busy, so many worries!  Can this attitude of no worries really be possible? 

While in this broken world we may never be able to master the no worries attitude all the time, I do believe there is a way to be headed in that direction.  I believe that it is a matter of focus.  What are we focused on; the object of our worry or the answer?  I think Christ shows us the answer in Matthew 6:25-34; this is the do not worry passage.  I think Christ shows us the way in Matthew 6:33a;

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness

This should be our focus.  This word seek in Greek means so much more that trying to locate. It has this essence of striving, desiring, craving and aiming.  And kingdom has this connotation of a royal power or presence.  So for me as worry creeps in I must sharpen my focus on the royal power of Christ and His presence within me; I must crave and desire that above the worries of the world and as I do this the worries will not be so…uh…worrisome.

James Montgomery Boice points out 3 keys to this verse.  First, the promises of Christ are for Christians only; therefore there will be worries in this world.  Second, as a believer we must mature and learn as much as we can about God’s nature and ability to care for His people. We are to learn about Christ, which will lead to a sharpened focus and strength in our faith.  And third, as believers we must get into the habit of turning to God as worries begin to creep in.  It must become our natural and first reaction. Amen!

Friends, no worries!  Trust in Christ!

Grace and Peace!

Defiant Grace

I am reading a very insightful book that serves as a reminder that God’s Grace is absolutely astounding.  The book is called “Defiant Grace” and is written by Dane Ortlund.  In this book he points out that grace through Christ can’t be measured and can’t be bound to any innate sense of fairness, reciprocity or balance. 

Dane uses Matthew 20:1-16 to illustrate:

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.³ “About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵ So they went.“He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. ⁶ About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’⁷ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’⁹ “The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. ¹⁰ So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹² ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ ¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” 

From this passage he points out that we can clearly see a telling sign – compassionate generosity where the landowner treats the workers according to what they need; not what they deserve.  Ortlund reminds us: “When our gratefulness for grace received devolves into Jonah like resentment that others less deserving have received grace, we show that we have not, in fact, understood the grace we ourselves have received.  For if grace is truly grace, freely granted and not tethered to any personal merit or demerit, then it is impossible for anyone to deserve it any less or any more than the next person.”

Ortlund then borrows from Kenneth Bailey who says: “The story focuses on an equation filled with amazing grace, which is resented by those who feel that they have earned their way to more…  The complaint is from the justly paid who cannot tolerate grace… Grace is not only amazing, it is also – for certain types – infuriating!”

What a reminder; a reminder for us all!  Father, thank you for grace and thank you that it is not based on what I deserve; but what I need…and oh how I need it!  Father, never let us lose sight of the fact that your grace is freely granted and that no matter how good we think we are, how active in the right activities, how deserving we might feel; that the grace you grant comes through the tremendous sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   Father, I am humbled by your compassionate generosity and  your overwhelming, astounding, amazing grace.  Amen and Amen.

Grace and Peace!

People of Faith

I have been struggling lately with the magnitude of a decision, the ramifications, the complexities, the trust that will be required for this decision to become a reality.  It is almost an overwhelming feeling.  I have prayerfully considered and tried to account for all outcomes, yet there is still risk.  I read recently that people of faith will humbly ask Christ to do more than we dare to think possible.  I find myself in that position and as I think about it; that is true faith.

It reminds me of the passage in Daniel 3 where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were facing the rage of King Nebuchadnezzar and were facing the decision to fall down and worship an idol or to trust God and face being thrown into a furnace.  They tell the king that they know that their God is able to save them, but that even if he doesn’t they will not worship the idol; their faith will not be shaken.  Now, that is trust, that is faith.

So as I face this seemingly insurmountable challenge I will strive to be a person of faith.  Matthew 19:26 encourages;

“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Grace and Peace!