Do You Have An Itch You Can't Scratch?

For this reason I say to you, don't be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" (Matt. 6:25).

Hey Gang:  When was the last time you were satisfied?  I mean really satisfied.  Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy “We brought nothing into the world, so we can take nothing out.  But, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that.”  (6:7-8). 

Paul also said: "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:10).  In 4:17, Paul referred to those things listed as thorns in his side, as ‘slight afflictions’.  To me a ‘slight affliction' falls within the category of pest, or something that comes and goes through our life, but is no big deal.  

But to Paul ‘slight affliction’ carried a far different, often menacing meaning.  Later in his letter to the Corinthians he gives us a short overview of his definition of ‘slight affliction’: far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death, stoned three times, eaten with rods, shipwrecked , encounters with robbers, hungry on many occasions, cold and exposed, daily pressure on him from the church, etc. etc. etc.  (2 Cor. 11:23-30).   Notice how he closed this descriptive section on the "slight-affliction issue, "If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness" (vs. 30).

But yet, in his letter to the Philippian believers, he wrote, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am" (Phil.4:11).   And on what did he base that contentment? "If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content" (1 Tim. 6:8).

Jesus, the wisest man to ever walk the earth and now sits at the right hand of Father God in intercessory prayer for us, gave us advice that we need to take to the bank.”  He said, "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt. 6:34).  An old country preacher preached a powerful message on the two days he never worries about, “Yesterday, for I can do nothing about it, and tomorrow, I do not have a clue what lies ahead.”

In the preceding verse Jesus gives us the remedy to discontentment, and anxiety:  "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matt. 6:33). Recently a reporter interviewed a woman who won the lottery but had lived in poverty all of her life.  When asked how she felt to be free of worrying about having enough money to live on, she replied that the fear of having someone take it away was even worse!

Sooooo, I repeat, “Seek the kingdom of heaven and all these things will be given to you.”  What things?  Paul answers that question, "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 14:17). And the neat thing about the kingdom, we can enjoy the fringe benefits of the kingdom here and now.

Blessings, 

Gramps