“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? Matthew 6:25-27
Fear, worry, concern or anxiety is an uncontrollable reaction to a feeling of helplessness in face of perceived threats or danger. Some psychologists describe it as “a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger”; “it is the ability to recognize danger leading to the urge to confront or flee from it.” Daily we are confronted with the reality of death, the prospects of falling from our positions, defeat, hunger, darkness, injury, losing our possessions and other threats. But Jesus is telling us in Matthew 6:26 that we should not worry for God can deal with our fears and concerns.
Two key conditions that lead to fear are perceived threat and lack of absolute confidence in a given mechanism for overcoming the threat. So long as we live on this earth, threats most come our way and our focus therefore should lie on the mechanism available for us to overcome these threats when they come.
In 2 Chronicles 20, we read the story of how three nations – Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, raised a great army against the people of Judah then under King Jehoshaphat. The threat was real they could not see a way out by their physical strength alone so they came to God. After a session of fasting and prayers led by the king, God spoke to them through a prophet “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15b). Afterwards their weapons for the war were praises to God for they trusted in God’s ability to deliver them from that threat. God intervened and turned the armies against themselves and the people of Judah won without raising a sword.
The same God is our God who has promised us that anything we ask through the name of His Son Jesus Christ will be given to us and anything we bind on this earth will also be bound in heaven. In Mark 16: 17-18 Jesus said “… these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Beloved, the times are tough, difficult situations surround us, the drum beats of war encompass us, sicknesses, failures, empire collapse, joblessness and other challenges have been our lot, but Christ is assuring us that our Father who clothes the lilies, feeds the birds can deal with these fears and concerns because He loves us and we are of more value than the lilies and the birds.
The mechanism He has put in place for us to overcome these threats is our faith in Him through the name of His Son Jesus Christ. Once we internalize our thrust in that mechanism fear will automatically be dealt a heavy blow in our lives as the second condition for fear to exist would have been addressed.
Hebrews 10:35-38a says “So do not throw away your confidence, it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, ‘He who is coming will come and will not delay’. But my righteous one will live by faith;”
Have a productive week as you fly high above your fears with the wings of faith in Him who has overcome the world.
Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon
Igein Isemede.