I Know, but do I KNOW?!

Throughout my adult life, Matthew 6:25-34 have been a key verses for me. As a planner, a doer, and a somewhat control freak, worrying can definitely come into play in my life. "Worry" is defined in the Merriam-Webster's dictionary as "to afflict with mental distress or agitation: make anxious". I therefore equate worrying with stressing or being anxious. As someone that can worry or stress, I often pray against those feelings and reactions, reminding myself of God's words in Matthew 6.

However with as many times as I've read these verses, quoted them, or left them as encouragement to another person you would think that I know this promise from the Lord. You would think that I could guard against worry and stress by simply remembering my God's promise that He'll take care of me. You would think that I know, but obviously sometimes I don't KNOW even though I know.

Now that might sound confusing at first, but think about it this way... a man might know that he should put the toilet seat down (sorry this was the first analogy that came to mind, so I'm running with it), but he may sometimes not do that. Why? Because he forgets, or he hasn't put this knowledge into full action, KNOWING to do it. In the same way, I know the words and promises from God in Matthew 6, but when I worry and stress like I have been lately about different things, I'm not truly KNOWING, I'm not putting God's word into practice. I'm not resting in the Lord, rather I'm relying on myself (which never works out well).

Today, I'm reminded about God's word and want to pray and hold onto the words of God in Matthew 6. I want to not only know them, but I want to KNOW them today. I want to rest in the promises that my God is going to take care of me. That I should NOT worry or stress because He provides! He shows me this over and over again (I have testimony over testimony about God's awesome provision), but somehow I still forget to KNOW sometimes when hairy circumstances come up. I begin to rely on me and become what verse thirty calls "you of little faith".

Tonight, I want to hold onto these promises in Matthew 6. Sometimes the best way for me to focus is to verbally admit my struggle (hence me blogging about it). Tonight, I'm thanking the Lord for His constant provision and faithfulness!!! Especially because I definitely do not deserve it!!!

Here are the verses I'm talking about (below). When you read over these, read it once as is, then read it again but replace the word "worry" with the word "stress". Stress is such a common term we use in our verbiage today, it might speak to you a second time by putting it into that context also.

Matthew 6:25-34

²⁵"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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look 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? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[a]? ²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If 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, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.