“Do not worry about your life… Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?”
I once heard it said, that when we have debt, we are a slave to that debt. As a barely-out-of-college loan holder and new homeowner, that alluring phrase has caused me great anxiety over the years. I don’t want to be a slave to debt, so I tried everything I possibly could to get out of that debt. I wrote and re-wrote multiple ways to “snowball” our interest rates and rearrange our budget.
I got upset at my husband if he bought something before we discussed where it would fit into our budget, and I become really discouraged when our bank account wasn’t getting larger but rather getting smaller. I would pray that some anonymous person would send us an $80,000 check in the mail and we could get this whole stage of life over with.
And then, I crashed my car…
Something funny happened that Wednesday morning: I took a different approach to what I could’ve seen as our impending financial doom. Instead of seeing dollar signs, I saw an opportunity for freedom. I gave all of my anxiety and longing to God. All of it! I gave Him permission to take care of us. And, do you know what happened? He did!
No, there was no $80,000 check or miraculous discovery of a way to pay it all off in one year. But, there was a new freedom in allowing my desires and longings to be for Christ alone. The Lord had already proven that one to me. But, I needed a swift kick in the butt to remember. I do not have to be “financially free” in order to be free from financial anxieties. Christ offers us a freedom that being debt-free can never compare to.
Yes, I do hope one day to be free of my debt at some point. But, right now, the Lord is asking me to trust Him on this one, and this verse from Matthew is my proof that He will come through 100% of the time. I have no idea where you are at when it comes to financial stability.
Your story probably looks quite different than my own. But, I do know that we each long for security in some way, shape, or form. Whether it be in terms of what we eat, what we clothe ourselves with, or the people who surround us, Christ in the most beautiful of ways (aka – Scripture) reminds us that we cannot add to our days by worrying.
Give Him all that you have and all that you want, and He will give you all that you need. Embrace that freedom this Advent, and give God all the praise and thanks.
Study Questions:
1. What is it that causes you anxiety?
2. Why is it that you experience this anxiety? What are you afraid of?
3. Re-read Matthew 6:24-34, and ask the Lord to speak to you through this passage. Write down all that He is saying to you, and carry it with you this week. Ask Him for the freedom to overcome this anxiety and trust Him in all things.
This year's study journal is broken into 4 parts.
To view each, please scroll to the middle of the above link.