The Ultimate Life is a movie coming out early September and produced by Michael Landon Jr. Red Stevens is given the ‘ultimate gift’ – a billion dollar foundation. As his world starts to unravel (greedy family & girlfriend leaving) he finds his grandfather’s journal and has a mental journey to discover the ultimate life. It’s a reminder that some things are worth more than money. And some things aren’t worth worrying about.
Isn’t amazing how much we worry about stuff? Jesus talked about worry in Matthew 6:25-34…
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
In this passage Jesus tells us not to worry about life (v. 25), needs (v. 31), and tomorrow (v. 34). What’s wrong with worry? I found three things wrong about worry…
1. Worry is not productive – 
Can worry add anything to your life?
The word ‘worry’ comes from the German word worgen and means ‘to strangle.’ The Greek word is a combination of two words meaning ‘to divide’ and ‘the mind.’ Worry causes a divided mind. It is like a dense fog. It takes less than a glass of water (divided into 60,000 million droplets to make a fog 7 city blocks, 100 feet deep A few gallons can cripple a city. Worry not only doesn’t help us, it can hurt us.
2. Worry is not necessary – 
Won’t God do more for you than for the flowers and grass?
God is the Master and already knows what you need. He owns, controls, and provides everything. And He takes care of His own.
God takes care of birds. Birds work and labor, but don’t hoard and stockpile. And they certainly don’t worry. He puts in nature, the ability to feed themselves.
God takes care of flowers & grass. These are His creation, but we are His children. He will take better care of us. But if God promises to feed and clothe His children, why are there so many ill-clad and under-nourished of His children? It is not provision but distribution. We will be judged by how we feed and clothe others.
Notice that though He cares for the birds, flowers & grass, they still fall to the ground, wither and are burnt up. They still have trouble – so will we. But God cares for us.
3. Worry is not worthy – 
Isn’t life more than food and aren’t you worth more than birds?
We are more than a body to maintain and fulfill our appetites. Our needs are more than physical. We have a deeper need. We need something to live for, to give life meaning. It’s what makes us ‘tick.’ For some, it’s material security. For others it’s God’s kingdom.
If worry is so wrong, what can I do to keep out of its clutches. That’s the subject for another article. But let me include the command of this Scripture passage – Put God first in your life. When Jesus is #1, you have nothing to worry about!
What is it that you worry about?
What do you do to curb your worry?