“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? ... And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” (Matthew 6:25-30)
Do Not Worry
In the 40 days of Lent, we imitate Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness. It’s a time of self-reflection and repentance. It’s a time when many people choose to give up something – a favorite food, a distracting habit, an indulgence – to parallel Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness.
And yet, much of the time, this practice can look suspiciously like a New Year’s resolution. We give up chocolate in the hope it might break us from our cravings. We give up fast food, knowing it’s unhealthy.
But what if, as Jesus says in Matthew’s gospel, we didn’t worry about what we eat? What if, instead of giving up those things WE want to get out of our lives, we focused on what God wants us to give up? What if, instead of giving up coffee or television, we gave up worrying?
It’s not an easy thing to do. We worry about much more than just what we will eat or what we will wear. But, as Jesus says, worrying won’t add a single hour to our life. In fact, with the toll stress and worry take on our bodies, it might just diminish our life span!
Because worry is such a constant, it can be difficult to remember not to do it. One practice that some people have found helpful is to wear a bracelet or even just a string tied around one wrist. If you catch yourself worrying, you have to move the bracelet to the other wrist. The goal is to make it through the day without having to move the bracelet. It’s a small physical reminder to help you remember that “life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.”
Prayer: God our provider, we thank you that we have all we need from you. Help us in this Lenten season to give up our worries, our sense of control over our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Amy Morgan
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