“Trusting God more than Man”

So, Jesus says, in Matthew 6:33 (ESV) , at the end of a teaching about how the Father can and will take care of His children.. “but seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”

It’s obvious from the context of verses 25 onward what these things are.. He’s listed all that we shouldn’t be anxious about.. Our lives, what we will eat and drink, what we will wear, and the health of our bodies. So, He’s saying, “Trust ME”

Being God in human form, He knew full well that not being anxious about things goes against our nature. So, He’s listed examples from nature .. birds eat what is provided for them, lillies are clothed in beautiful flowers.. these are things that were taken for granted every single day.

So, let me give another example, a more modern one.

Today, we sit comfortably in a machine which is much heavier than air as it hurtles down a strip of concrete, confident that it (and we) will safely be lifted up into the air and travel to our destination without any mishaps.

Flying is not natural to man. Even today, those who do so for the first time (and even after that) are filled with fear even though so many of us have experienced it for ourselves. Yet, over and over, the law of aerodynamics is proven to be true.

So here’s my point.

Not being anxious is not easy, it doesn’t come naturally to us. And yet, when we read the promise in this scripture, given to us by no lesser authority than God in human form, we still doubt.

Yet we trust man’s discovery of God’s principles of how a bird can fly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fake News?

Headlines are in the headlines these days, so to speak. With the rise of Social Media, so many of our opinions are formed by one-second computer bytes, from what Donald Trump has just tweeted, to whether Serena Williams was a victim of sexist discrimination and not just a sore loser at the recent US Open, to our uniquely South African land debate.

Headlines are more and more about creating a shocking impression. We’ve even seen the rise of so called “Fake News”, designed to keep us in conflict, whilst actually really just generating membership and revenue for their creators by driving up advertising income, because of more visits to their pages and sites.

All of which got me thinking, what is the headline of my life? If someone had to see a one-second headline, what would it say? And most importantly, what would it say about my Christian walk?

Would it be about the Good News of the Gospel of salvation through Jesus?

Would it be in line with Jesus’ words in John 13:35, “By this will men know that you are my disciples, by your love for one another”? Or would His love for me have led to me showing love to my neighbour, as demonstrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29 – 37)?  Or perhaps that I have fulfilled the requirement of the Lord in Micah 6:8 “Act Justly, love mercy and walk humbly with Your God”

Or would my life be labeled “Fake Good News”? Drawing attention to myself and my opinions, being the cause of conflict, or even seeking to increase the membership and coffers of my church or denomination.

To misquote a famous Hymn by Crosby and Doane, wouldn’t it be great if all people saw in us was a reflection of Jesus?

“To God be the Glory, great things He has done, So loved He the World that He gave us His Son/Daughter”

That’s a headline I think we’d all be pleased with.