Day 18

A man who chooses the Jesus script is…

A man who isn’t overly troubled by trouble.

It’s a guarantee that trouble will come into every man’s life. Each of us face the potential for worry on a daily basis. When trouble strikes or worry hits us, we have a choice to make: How will we respond?

Matthew recorded his firsthand account of this teaching from Jesus:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

—Matthew 6:25–34

Troubles and worry can cause us to look at the path we’re on or the road ahead. We stress if we’ll have enough, if we’ve done enough, or if we are enough. This downward spiral of worry over our “enough-ness” leads to a lack of peace for us and everyone around us. Jesus knew we’d be prone to worry. He knew that trouble would come, and our natural response would be to worry. So he provided a better way for us to respond.

As men who follow the Jesus script, why would we let trouble or worry overcome our world? You are more valuable to your heavenly Father than the birds of the air or the flowers in the field. Your Father knows your needs. Seek his kingdom and his righteousness. Release your cares to him and experience the peace that Jesus makes possible no matter what trouble or worry you may face.