Don’t Worry – be Happy

Lent

 

Mat 6:25-34  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  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?  And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?  And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin,  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?'  For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.   But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today”.

Bobby McFerrin’s song “Don’t worry, be happy” from the Movie "Cocktails" became widely popular – because we all worry! Despite his injunction to “be happy”, it is extremely difficult not to worry.  Jesus suggests that worry indicates a lack of trust in God – because “your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things”.

So instead of “worrying about worrying”, let us learn to trust that the One who created the heavens and the earth is able to care for those he has made.

To sing to yourself:

Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing itnote for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy......

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/

 

Thought

“If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good.”
― Śāntideva

 

The Last Sunday after Epiphany

Listen to Jesus Christ
Scripture reading taken from A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants p.100