The Anxiety of Later

[podcast]http://www.revkwon.com/podcast/average-anxiety_later.mp3[/podcast] One of the things that can keep us from living beyond average is the tension between now and later. We’re tempted to live for the moment, to satisfy our desires instantly. But when we pursue instant gratification, the problems in our lives increase. Our finances blow up because we buy things before we can afford them. Our relationships are damaged because we don’t put in the time to build solid foundations of trust and respect. Our careers suffer because we climb faster than our competence can sustain. Jesus wants anything but average for you. But to be anything but average, you have to learn to stop living for now and begin living for later. A lot of us have this problem of looking at our current situation and casting it as our future. Who we are now doesn’t define who we become later. More than that, what we do now should not be the measure of our future. When you dream about the future, do you dream about cars, expensive electronics, and beach houses? Or do you dream about legacy, impact, influence, and eternal joy? The reason I ask that is because our personal choice now will define who we become later. Let’s read this passage in Matthew 6:25-34.

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25-34)

I’m going to be honest with you guys. As a human, prescribing to this way of life that Jesus is talking about right here, it’s impossible. You will always be anxious about those things because those are the things that 21^st century Americans worry about. The reason we worry about them is because we don’t have to worry simply about survival. I am anxious over those things all the time. I can’t get over the fact that I am anxious when it comes to those things. I’d be a liar if I told you that I wasn’t. I know you’re judging me because I’m a pastor and shouldn’t be anxious about such lowly thing, but I’m only human. However, when I catch myself in a trap being anxious, I am reminded of this passage. The difference between living for now rather than living for later is anxiety. In fact, it’s this anxiety that makes us live in disbelief of later. I know, it doesn’t quite make sense yet. Let’s take it further, what I’m saying is that disbelief of later is a lack of faith. You don’t believe the reason Jesus died on the cross for you so that your later will be better than your today. But that’s not the problem the problem is that in your anxiety, we have a lot of it, we have so many sinful attitudes and actions that rise out of them. I wouldn’t just tell you about a problem and not help you identify it in your life. Moreover, I wouldn’t tell you about a problem and then not tell you where the root of the problem is. After all, having this problem is being average. But I want you to be anything but average. The verse that makes the root of anxiety clear is verse 30: But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? In other words Jesus says that the root of anxiety is lack of faith in our heavenly Father. As unbelief gets the upper hand in our hearts, one of the results is anxiety. And so Jesus, being a preacher that is anything but average details at least half a dozen promises to battle unbelief in our lives. For example in verse 33 he says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” In everything you do at home and at work, put God’s purposes first, and he will provide all you need to live for his glory. Believe that promise, and financial anxiety will evaporate in the warmth of God’s care. Jesus tells us four times in this passage that we shouldn’t be anxious. When he tells us each of these four times that we shouldn’t be anxious, he is pointing to a particular element of life which everybody is anxious about.

1. Verse 25: Therefore I tell you,do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.

Jesus means that life and body (literally “soul” and body) are more than the physical life that is sustained by food and adorned by clothing. In other words, don’t be anxious about your soul and your body because those who might take your food and your clothing, and even cause your death, cannot take your real life or rob you of your resurrection body.

2. Verse 27: And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

If God is so intimately and lavishly involved with grass and flowers which are like a vapor, then how shall he not care for his children who are eternal? So trust him! Trust him! “O you of little faith.”

3. Verse 31: Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all

Here the argument is: if you are anxious, you are more or less as average as the rest of the world. This is what people do who don’t know God. We know God. We need to be more than average because we know God. We talked about this a few weeks ago when we started the series. Anxiety is worldly and when we know God, it raises our average up. Maybe we won’t be completely anxiety free, but we can be less anxious when we know God intimately.

4. Verse 34: Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble

Each day has its own appointed troubles, and there are new mercies appointed for us every day so that you can bear the troubles. Trust him, there will be new mercies for us. You’re probably thinking: it’s nice that you say things like that, about now being anxious and Jesus says so. Moreover, you’re thinking, you tell me not to be anxious, but you’ve never walked two miles in my shoes Pastor Jonathan, you don’t know that I don’t have a lot to worry about. You’re absolutely right, I didn’t walk two miles in your shoes, and I don’t know what you’re going through in life. But I’ve thought about and I’ve come to the conclusion that while I can’t tell you to be less anxious, I can share with you how I am less anxious. I’ve compiled a list of 8 things that I’m anxious about. I’ll tell you how I keep myself from being anxious.

1. When I am anxious about some risky new venture or meeting, I battle unbelief with the promise: fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10).

2. When I am anxious about my ministry being useless and empty, I fight unbelief with the promise: so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11).

3. When I am anxious about being too weak and incompetent to perform my duties, I battle unbelief with the promise of Christ, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

4. When I am anxious about decisions I have to make about the future, I battle unbelief with the promise, “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8).

5. When I am anxious about facing opponents, I battle unbelief with the promise, “If God is for us who can be against us!” (Romans 8:31).

6. When I am anxious about being sick, I battle unbelief with the promise that ³ Not only that, but werejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  (Romans 5:3–5).

7. When I am anxious about dying, I battle unbelief with the promise that ⁸ For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then,whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. (Romans 14:8–9).

8. When I am anxious that I may make shipwreck of faith and fall away from God, I battle unbelief with the promise, “And I am sure of this, that he who begana good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6). ” Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25).

When we pick up God’s word and read his promises, and your anxiety of later will wash away. Don’t give up what is eternal for what is temporal. Don’t give up what is unseen for what is seen. Don’t give up what you want most for what you want now. Let’s pray.