Wednesday in the Word: Don't Worry!

 

Truly, if I told you some of the stories of my week, you just would not believe them. (Although they are the sorts of stories I tend to attract in the fullest, so maybe you would believe them.)

                By yesterday afternoon, which I do realize was only TUESDAY, I had waved all the white flags I could find and retreated home to try to accomplish a few things. God was so kind and filled my mind and fingertips with words that were able to pour out nearly faster than I could string them together.

                I was so thankful, because I have some deadlines and events speeding my way, and I was not nearly as prepared for any of them as I would like to have been.

                Want to know the ironic part? One of my topics was worry. There I sat, worried that I wouldn’t be able to crank out my pieces in time, and one of them was all about choosing not to worry.

                My Bible passage for that one was from Matthew 6…the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus reminded those listening that they couldn’t add inches to their height or years to their life by worrying. (In full disclosure, if I could add to my height through worry, I would be gazing over the tops of clouds by now, I’m sure.)

                It’s a familiar passage, but I decided I would explore it from The Message paraphrase. I don’t use The Message or The Voice for my regular study, because they aren’t close translations from the original language. But for me, anyway, with some of these super familiar passages, I sometimes fail to truly hear the words after a time, because I know them so well. They end up just rolling around in my head and I don’t grasp them like I should.

                When those moments come, hearing the words in fresh phrasing pulls me back in. And this exploration of Matthew 6 was no exception. I found myself thinking through the analogies in vivid color, and it made for a rich experience.

                So my challenge for you today is twofold. First, if you haven’t camped out in Matthew 6 to read about why we shouldn’t worry, read up. Even if you’re not entirely prone to worrying, it’s a good refresher. And secondly, if you have stopped truly hearing the words because you know them so well, give The Message or The Voice a read. I think it will help you refocus!

                And don’t forget (BEKAH!!!)….don’t worry!