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So I think it might have been Jesus who first said, “No worries, mate!” At least that is how I read Matthew chapter 6 starting in verse 24.

At this point Jesus is up on a mountainside giving a sermon on all kinds of practical things for living. He has covered everything from loving your enemies to praying. Then He discusses a topic that most of us worry about a lot: money and provision.

Don’t Worry!

His answer to the problem? Don’t worry! Now I don’t know about you, but for me that is far easier said than done. The Strong’s definition of the word “worry,” says it means, “to divide into parts.” That paints a word picture doesn’t it? I know exactly what that feels like. When I allow worry to take over my thoughts I can literally feel like my brain is going in many different parts. The definition goes on to include distraction; also a preoccupation with things causing anxiety, stress and pressure! Again, all things I am familiar with, none of them fun.

So how does Jesus have the audacity to suggest we simply shouldn’t worry? He actually maps it out thoroughly in His sermon. He addresses our worries about how we will take care of ourselves in the areas of food and clothing. He gives the example of how God takes care of the birds by providing them food. He reminds us how much more valuable to God we are than birds. He talks of the flowers and how God clothes them so beautifully and promises us that God will clothe us too.

The “ouch” moment of His sermon for me, is when He points out that it is unbelievers who worry and struggle and chase after all these things such as food and clothing, but we as believers have a heavenly Father who knows we need all these things and promises to provide them. Jesus reminds us to first chase after God and He will take care of the rest. It is Jesus’ own confidence in His heavenly Father’s unending provision that allows Him to audaciously proclaim, “No worries!”

“For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.” Matthew 6:32-34

My little four year old daughter was very frustrated with me. She was bound and determined to fill out a whole worksheet she had found with the numbers 1-30. This was far above her skill level, however she wanted to do it. The problem came in when she also wanted to do it the, “right way.” She wanted me to show her how to perfectly form each number. I tried to explain to her that the purpose of the worksheet was to practice writing her numbers so that soon she would be able to write them more easily. She would have none of that, in her mind it needed to be done the right way, right now!

Oh, little one, how I relate! There are so many times in my life that I feel pressured to do things the “right way.” Sometimes this can be a good thing, because doing things the right way the first time can save time. But most things take some practice.

There are very, very few times in life that we are going to be able to do a thing perfectly the first time around. As a piano teacher I am very familiar with the saying, “Practice makes perfect,” and believe me it can. Anyone who wants to excel at anything is accustomed to long hours of work, or practice.

There is another area of life that we might not necessarily think of in relation to the word “practice.” This is our walk with Jesus. The funny thing is, that word is built in to most of the language that we use to describe ourselves as His followers.

The word “disciple,” is an active word entailing behaviors such as learning, emulating, teaching–all of which require practice. We use other terms such as, “spiritual disciplines,” and another, “spiritual practices.” But how often do we consider that those two terms actually take practice? It takes time to learn how to integrate reading the Bible into your already busy day. It takes awhile to get into the habit of talking with Jesus. It takes some self discipline to go to church Sunday morning or a Bible study during the week. But just like any other practice, it all becomes easier the more we do it and the rewards from this kind of practice far outweigh any earthly goals we achieve.

The great news about all of this is that none of us are expected to do this life of following Jesus the right way, right away. We get to practice! And Jesus is far more patient with us than I even was with my daughter. He gently takes us by the hand and shows us how to do it His way.

“The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9

What if the caffeine high is how we are really supposed to feel???

Now before you all freak out and make me go viral as the drug-pushing Jesus follower, give me a chance to elaborate.

My favorite coffee treat is a tall, mocha frappuccino with extra mocha drizzle. Whenever I get a chance to indulge I get such a lovely feeling of bliss after my first few sips. Suddenly all seems right with the world and it doesn’t even matter that a jerk just cut me off in traffic! Now this effect probably has less to do with caffeine since it is after just a couple sips, and more to do with me being happy about a treat, but this will work for my example.

In the Bible Jesus said He came to give us life to the full. The psalmist proclaimed that the joy of the Lord was his strength. Paul encouraged the Philippians to rejoice always. None of these were based on circumstances or some day, but every day.

So maybe what these authors are all saying, is that we as followers of Christ should not be experiencing only moments of joy that fizzle out like a coffee buzz. We need to be connected to our joy giving energy source, (the Holy Spirit) on a constant basis.

But what about the hard days you ask. Good question. None of the writers of the Bible or Jesus Himself were denying the suffering and hardship that are realities in our fallen world. What I believe they found and what Jesus is trying to teach me in my own life, is to stay focused on Him. When the pain comes in, I try to look to Jesus as quickly as possible. When I get to a place where I am in an emotional puddle, sometimes He has to take my face gently in His hands and redirect my gaze once again to His face.

I am being a little glib, joking about caffeine, but all that aside I know it is not easy to live in a state of joy. But that is the goal Jesus has for us even though we will not fully reach that goal this side of heaven. However, I truly believe that as we walk closer and closer with Jesus that we will live in greater and greater joy.

“But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.” Psalm 5:11

“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” John 15:11

The bottom line is that everyone believes something. Usually how we live reveals what we believe. If we are generous, it means that we have a belief that our own needs will be met regardless if we give something away. The opposite is true too, if we are stingy or selfish it shows a deep-seated belief that we might run out or not have enough.

However, just because I believe something does not necessarily make it true. I could believe as much as I want that I can fly, but in the end gravity would probably cure me of that mistaken belief.

Knowing what we believe is crucially important. As I said, it informs our decisions and guides us through life. Also, if I am not aware of my core beliefs I am literally held hostage by them without even knowing it. I can be stuck in the same unhealthy patterns simply by a deeply rooted belief. On the other hand if I take an honest look at my belief system and really question it, I can make some changes that will benefit me and those around me for the rest of my days.

As great as it is to know what you believe about every day types of things, it is absolutely crucial to know what you believe about spiritual things. For instance if I believe I should follow the speed limit, that will probably keep me and others safer on the road and avoid the hassle of speeding tickets, which is all fine and good while I am living. However, if I haven’t thought through what I believe will happen when I am no longer living, I am in trouble.

The best way to know what to believe is to find out the truth. I need to make sure there is not a lie hidden in the middle of my belief. The best way I have found to do this is to search the Bible. I know there are a lot of people who do not think the Bible is truth, that it has been changed or that it is inaccurate or not relevant. I would encourage you to do a little research on the history of the Bible and how accurate it still is. But more than that, I would challenge you to read it for yourself and see if it is indeed a “living book.” As I have measured my inaccurate beliefs against what it says in the Bible, God has changed my belief system and helped me to live in a much healthier way. He can do this for you too! Ask God to speak to you through His own words and show you the truth; I promise you He will.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12

Last evening one of my sons kept opening the refrigerator without taking anything out. I asked him what he was doing. He said he wanted orange juice and was hoping some would appear if he kept looking. I was puzzled to say the least, “Do you mean like magic?” I asked him, “No, like Mom eyes,” was his reply.

Now I was really intrigued. I asked him to further illuminate me. He explained that it is like when I ask him to go get a bottle of ketchup out of the pantry. He can look three times through the entire pantry and when he finally gives up and asks me for help, when I go to look, all of a sudden, there is the ketchup bottle right in the front! I had to laugh of course, although there definitely feels like some truth to his theory.

Just like my son was hoping to see things through my eyes in the refrigerator last night, there are also times when I need to borrow someone else’s eyes, or at least their point of view. If I can’t put myself in someone else’s place or imagine what it might feel like to be them, my relationships with other people are simply not going to go very well. We need a lot of empathy to have healthy relationships and also to be there for people who need our help.

There is also another set of eyes that I need to view myself and the world with and those are Jesus’ eyes. If I can use His lens to accurately look into my heart and soul and see the things I need to change, I will grow to be more like Him. If I can see myself the way He sees me, how wonderful He thinks I am and how special He made me, I will have the confidence to share my gifts with the world. If we can look around at our fellow humans with His love, empathy and grace and share the truth about Jesus, then salvation will appear in people’s hearts more surely than orange juice in the refrigerator!

“Ears that hear and eyes that see–the Lord has made them both.” Proverbs 20:12

Today being Good Friday I thought it would be a good day to examine the cross.

I remember as a child going to Good Friday services at church. They were always a little frightening to me as the drama would be reenacted and the crowds would shout, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

The truth is that Good Friday was frightening. At the time, Good Friday started off looking like a very bad day. For a little while it appeared that evil had won and that Jesus had been defeated. Even from our vantage point now, that thought sends a shudder through us.

However, we know the end of the story. That cross designed as an instrument of torture, became an instrument that sang out God’s redemption and love. That cross meant to break the dearest and best instead made Him broken bread to nourish our souls. Jesus’ victory over sin and death on the cross turned it into a symbol of triumph that we wear around our necks and hang on our walls.

We are encouraged as followers of Christ to sit at His feet and learn from Him. But to sit at His feet while He is on the cross is a whole different experience. If we allow ourselves to meditate on what Jesus actually did there we will be overcome by emotion. I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to sanitize the cross in my head. However, imagining Jesus as He is depicted in all of the beautiful art and on crucifixes does not tell the full story. The Bible records that He was not even recognizable as a human by the time He died, something that is difficult to think about. I know that the best part of Jesus’ death is His triumph over it in His resurrection, but I think we need to spend some time contemplating the cross. If we just skim over His death, we will not truly capture the awe of His empty tomb.

There will never be an end to all we can write, sing or say about what happened at the crucifixion and then the resurrection. Even if we were to deeply examine the cross every day, we would still discover more depth to God’s loving work there. So I would encourage you to ask God what He wants to show you about the cross today on this very Good Friday.

“When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit. At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God.'” Matthew 27:50-54