Archived Notes
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A Superior Life
© Chad Sychtysz
“Stress” and “anxiety” are common features of our modern, fast-paced world.
We talk about these so much, they have become an accepted part of our modern mentality.
Stress, anxiety, and worry are simply euphemisms for “fear.” Jesus teaches that
living in fear is a wrong approach to life, and that we gain nothing by clinging
to it. A superior life is one free from fear; this is found only by seeking the
things of God and His righteousness (Mt 6:25-34). Living in Christ and living in
fear are incompatible states of being.
What benefit does one ever derive from being anxious and fearful? The
word “anxious” comes from a Greek root word meaning, “drawn in two directions”; thus,
an anxious person lives in an irresolvable condition. Ideally, Christians have no
reason to be anxious: if God is able to provide for our eternal lives through the
sacrifice of His Son, then surely He is able to provide for our physical well-being
and daily essentials (Rom 8:31-32). Sometimes, however, we are simply not happy
with “essentials”; we also want all the luxuries and toys that our self-indulgent
society has to offer. Thus, we may worry not only about essentials, but we may expend
a great deal of energy on petty and insignificant things. Jesus equates such thinking
to that of unconverted people. Even “Gentiles” (in our case, the unconverted) fret
over their lives (Mt 6:32); if a Christian does the same thing, what sets a him apart
from them? Unbelievers are “without hope and without God” (Eph 2:12); shall Christians—God’s
children—succumb to the same fear and anxiety as alien sinners? A Christian who
lives in fear implies a distrust that God is able and/or willing to provide for him.
Medical studies have proven that living with worry and anxiety is the cause of all
sorts of physiological problems (both real and imagined). Likewise, it robs one
of spiritual confidence and peace; it contradicts faith, ridicules belief, and betrays
one’s professed trust in God. If God is able to take care of birds and “clothe”
flowers through natural means (Mt 6:26,28), then certainly He is able to take care
of believers in the same way, as well as through whatever providential means He determines
will be necessary. If God can provide for our eternal needs (2 Cor 5:1-4), certainly
He can provide for our earthly needs.
Fear (in all its forms) deals with what has not yet happened. It is an
emotional opinion about what we think will be the outcome to a given scenario. In
the absence of real evidence, however, such fear is irrational. Jesus blames this
fear on “little faith” (Mt 6:30)—faith which is inadequate, undersized, and immature.
If one needs only a mustard seed-sized faith to do incredible things (Lk 17:6),
then imagine how miniscule one’s faith must be which cannot overcome even the daily
anxieties of life. The presence of fear indicates something is lacking or missing;
the presence of faith indicates confidence that God will provide whatever is lacking.
Often, our fear is linked to the lack of control over a given situation; yet the
only real control we have is to surrender all control to Christ, who has complete
control of all things. Our responsibility is to become seekers of both His kingdom
and His righteousness (Mt 6:33). This requires diligent and consistent effort (versus
a passive interest) on our part. Instead of being slaves to that which cannot help
us (cf. Rom 8:15), in Christ we have a spirit of freedom (Gal 5:1), are filled with
a living hope (1 Pet 1:3), and have confidence in the day of judgment (1 John 4:17).
Yet we cannot be seekers of God’s concerns if we are filled with fear and anxiety
over everyday things. Peter was rebuked for setting his mind on men’s interests
and not God’s (Mt 16:23); the message to us is a sobering one. Those who will not
give their primary attention to the things of God have no reward with Him (see Jer
6:16-19).
Jesus must be alive in one’s heart if He is going to have a positive effect
on one’s life. Jesus does not say, “Don’t have a plan,” “Don’t work that plan,”
or “Don’t make any effort on your own.” What He says is, in essence, “Do not live
in fear; trust in God’s desire and ability to help you.” God actually wants us to
lay all our fears at His feet, since He can easily deal with them (1 Pet 5:6-7).
In other words, God does not say that we will never be filled with fear, but tells
us what to do with it when we are. If we follow this prescription, we will enjoy
a superior life here and anticipate an incomprehensibly wonderful life to come.
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