The Cares of Life
Dearly beloved of God, we should not be distracted by the things of this world. The things of this evil age only make us anxious, and full of cares; this distraction only burdens us.
The Lord Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 6: 19-34. In verses 25, the words “take no thought” are the Greek word “merimnaō.” It means “to be anxious; to be troubled with cares, to be full of anxiety which divides up and distracts the mind, to be full of cares, anxious; be full of anxious or distracting care.”
The Lord opens the subject by giving them an example commonly understood by them in their culture. It is an Orientalism.
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth.” We equate treasure to money, but the Lord was not speaking of money, but of their thoughts. Bishop K.C. Pillai gave this explanation of the Orientalism.
“Let not your thoughts be centered in material things where fears and worries breed defeat and frustration, and where the doubts break through and steal your thoughts: but let your thoughts be centered in the spirit, where neither fear nor worry breeds defeat and frustration, and where doubts do not break through and steal your thoughts. For where your thoughts are, there will your heart be also.”
Verse 22-24:
“The light of the body is the eye (spiritual understanding:) if therefore your eye (your spiritual understanding) be single (centered in the spiritual, the things of God), your whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye (your spiritual understanding) be evil (carnal, fleshly) your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man is able to serve two masters: for either he will hate (care not for) the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (the things of the world).”
We should lead captive our thoughts to the obedience of Christ, and walk in the spirit, not according to the flesh. We should renew our minds to who we are in Christ, and make no provision for the old man of the flesh.
The Lord goes on to say that we should “take no thought” (don’t be mentally divided or distracted, full of anxiety or care), for your life, what you shall eat, or drink or what you shall wear. Is life not more than meat, and the body than clothing?
We are not to be mentally divided and anxious, or full of care about these things; God is our sufficiency. He is more watchful in His care for us than He is for birds and lilies. We are not to have a lack of believing confidence in God to care and supply our needs.
Worry and doubt mentally distract us, and they breed defeat and frustration in our lives. Instead, we ought to cast our cares upon God, because He has regard for us and cares for us. He is our sufficiency.
We should not be mentally divided and distracted for tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Live one day at a time and look to the Heavenly Father for His sufficiency, dearly beloved.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful (mentally divided, distracted, full of care or anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Dearly beloved, we walk by believing what God says, not by what the world says. Don’t be distracted or anxious because of the things of this world, walk by believing the promises of God and live in the peace of God that is ours in Christ Jesus.