Matthew 6:34

• “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficiant for the day is its own trouble.” (ESV)

“Most believe the elections will be violent,” “Hunger on the rise in Iowa,” “Stocks are plummeting as nations lock down again.” I stood by a grocery customer service counter ( and ad hoc post office) waiting to drop off some packages, and all I could see on the newspaper stand was doom and gloom. We live in a world that tries so hard to bring us down into negativity, but on that day and hour, I wasn’t falling for it. I laughed underneath my mask at the thought of how fearful everything has become. After all, fear is a mindset, and any particular air we have is a choice we have to make every day consciously. Which begs the question, what kind of alternative perspective should a Kingdom dweller like ourselves make?

Jesus tells us not to worry about what we will eat or drink. And he tells us not to worry about what we will wear. He didn’t say this so that we’d end up hungry and naked. After all, we should still seek out food and seek out clothing if we need them. What he’s after is our emotions concerning these things. Fear has a way of taking away from our present joy. Like a cruel joke that makes a mockery of our time, fear steals precious moments we could be using to make Kingdom differences today. If your head is filled with worries about tomorrow, it isn’t spilling out hope for today. A newspaper stand doesn’t understand this concept.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for bringing us hope and faith that cats away fear. Fear, like all emotions, is useful when used as prescribed. Help us to do just that and not allow our fear to control our behavior and block the Kingdom impact we can make every day. Amen.