Readings: Colossians 3:1-4; Matthew 6:25-34
We know Jesus’ words in Matthew so well, “Don’t be anxious about your life…” And yet, so often, we find ourselves sinking in anxiety or worry. The Lord knows this, and desires to teach us about our worries and anxieties even as His Spirit transforms our hearts to trust more deeply in his goodness. But it’s a process… and for some of us a daily one!
- Take a moment to review the past 24 hours with our God who deeply loves you. Play the last 24 hours like a movie in your mind – who you talked to, what you did, what you experienced. Ask the Lord to bring to mind moments where you might have been anxious or worried about something. What was it about these things that made you feel anxious or worried? Talk with the Lord about these things, asking him to teach you about your own heart.
- Paul encourages the Colossians to “set your mind on things that are above”, later describing these as “compassion, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness… and above all, love” (Col 3:2, 12-14). He also encourages them to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,” and to allow “the Word of Christ to dwell in you richly” (Col 3:15, 16). Perhaps cultivation of these virtues are antidotes to worry and anxiety.
- Ask the Lord how these things “from above, where Christ is” (Col 3:1) might be connected to the list of worries or anxieties you have had over the last 24 hours. Maybe the Lord is leading you to deeper compassion or to revisit forgiveness for someone, or maybe he is asking you to claim again the promise that he will care for you. Spend some time meditating on the truths he reveals to you in these scriptures, asking his Spirit to draw them more deeply into your heart.