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Monday August 13, 2018

 

In a recent study conducted by the American Psychological Association, almost 75% of the participants admitted to being stressed out over their finances and one third said that their lack of money prevented them from living a healthy lifestyle. Sadly, numerous other studies have linked money worries to obesity, premature aging, and a high mortality rate among people with cancer and heart disease. Why then do we worry so much about money.

 

Most people believe that the solution to their stress is to have more money. It is interesting to note however, that the more money a person has, the more they worry. Solomon wrote in the 5th chapter of the Book of Ecclesiastes that “the more you have, the more people come to help you spend it”. This is so true, you have more money and along come the credit card companies, loan companies, and mortgage companies to help you spend it. You have more money but there’s the cell phone company, cable company, and the Internet providers to help you spend it. And we can’t leave out the entertainment industry, beauty industry, and self help folks who are also eager to help you spend your cash, and let’s not even mention our friends and family! The more money you have, the more financial commitments you take on. The result is more worries and more stress.

 

Matthew 6:24-34
Key Verses 33-34

But seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 

Jesus spoke these words to a group of Hebrews that were literally worried for their lives. During this period, these people were living under the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire. As a result, they stressed over things like what they would eat, wear, and where they would live. For many of us today, our worries are pretty much the same. We worry about our homes, cars, the latest fashion, what schools to send our kids to, the latest electronic gadgets, and the list just goes on. Jesus on the other hand would tell us in no uncertain terms that we should not worry about any of these things.

 

Sadly, many believers have as their primary concern their finances. Churches are filled with people who are more concerned with their own finances and prosperity. Having said this, there isn’t anything wrong with prosperity and finances except when these cause us to worry. According to Jesus, our primary concern should be His kingdom and righteousness, what we are doing and who we are becoming and not what we have personally or our achievements. Moreover, Jesus promises to add to us all the things we worry about.

 

Therefore worrying about what we have or our achievements is not worth it! Doing the right thing and becoming the right person on the other hand, is more than worth it.