Our Worries As Idols

Matthew 6:25-34,  "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? 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?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?  "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies 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, O 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.

It occurred to me today, as I was stressing on the multitude of tasks I have to complete before completing residency, that my worries are often idols.  

In my 30 years of existence, I have only ever needed one thing:  Jesus Christ (forgive me Lord for referring to you as a thing).  I have Him, or rather, He has me.  And on top of Him, I have had everything else I could ever want or desire.  Chemotherapy supposedly made me sterile, but I have an amazing son.  I've never been truly hungry.  I've never been homeless.  I've never been destitute.  I have a beautiful wife.  I have more clothes than I need.  I'm a doctor.  I have loving parents. 

And I have the pearl of great value.  I have the treasure in the field.  (Matthew 13:44-46)

I do not need to worry.  God has saved me.  He has always taken care of me.  I have already overcome.  Through Christ, I have already won this game called life.  Sin has been defeated.  Death has lost its sting.   


Romans 8:38-39, "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."

There is only one thing I need to do:  Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.