THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
(A Mountain Plateau not far from Capernaum)
Subdivision F
SECURITY OF HEAVENLY TREASURES CONTRASTED WITH EARTHLY ANXIETIES MATT. 6:25-34
Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Matthew 6:27
These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Matthew 6:32
Today's trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:34
2. All this is done to drive us to live by the day: to let the day’s affairs fill the day’s thoughts. See the benefit of this.(1) As respects our pleasures. How can a man enjoy pleasure when he has his mind disturbed about the future? We must dwell on it undistractedly.
(2) As respects your pains. That which makes pain painful is the thought that it will continue.
(3) As respects duties. The secret of doing anything well is concentration.
3. We should have only to do with the sins of the current day. As with our sins so with our cares.
4. The trouble which comes is very often not the trouble which we expected. -BI, J. Vaughan, MA
"The secret of getting through work is to take the work of the day and leave all that does not belong to it." -J. W. Reeve.
"Another lesson for avoiding anxiety is this, “that our heavenly Father knoweth we have need of these things." -R. Robinson
Evils of anxious forethought
3.Anxiety does no good. The mind works more wisely when it works pleasantly. Anxiety distorts the future.
4. It brings men under the power of the imagination and phantoms, which they fight without pause, and upon which they spend their strength for nothing.
5. If a man is constantly looking to the future in despondency, where is faith in his God? -BI, Beecher
Anxious thought incapacitates for a wise ordering of life
The whole success of life depends upon the wholesomeness of a man’s mind. The ship-master that navigates the sea beyond the sight of land is dependent upon the correctness of his chronometer and his compass. If the instruments of navigation fail him, everything fails him. And what these are to navigation on the sea and in a ship, the human mind is to our navigation of life. And anything that disturbs the balance of the mind so far invalidates the whole voyage of life. -BI, Beecher
Yes. But Fear has a kaleidoscope in his eye, and every time it turns it takes a new form. It is filled with broken glass, and it gives false pictures continually. Fear does not see right. It is for ever seeing wrong. And it is stimulated by other feelings. Pride stimulates it; and Vanity stimulates it; and Lust stimulates and Love itself finds, sometimes, no better business than to send Fear on its bad errands. For love cries at the cradle, “Oh, the child will die!” It will not die. It will get well. -BI, Beecher
5. The things we fear seldom happen.
(1) A tranquil soul is indispensably necessary to anything like a true Christian atmosphere.
(2) The chief ends of life are sacrificed to the unnecessary dust which our feet raise in the way of life.
(3) What disagreeable company we make of ourselves for God.
(4) This way of life, devoid of cheer, is bearing false witness against your Master. BI, Beecher
Anxiety does not attract us to the notice of God. He cares for us irrespective of our carefulness. No promise is made to anxiety, etc.
IV. Anxiety is useless because Jesus bids you get rid of it. Trust Him and let the spirit rest, and be strong and glad. -S. Martin
As a disciple cares each day for the things God has trusted to him, God, his heavenly Father (Mat_6:26, Mat_6:32), cares for his daily needs. -Bible Knowledge Commentary
Anxiety is a part of indecision of character and partakes of its harmfulness. “No man can serve two masters.” -A. Vaughan
I. The magnitude of the sin” of anxiety.
1. It makes you unhappy, which is matter for blame rather than pity.
2. It is a positive wrong done to God; it distrusts him.
3. Do not speak of your anxieties as something for which you are to be commiserated.
4. Never place yourself willingly in a position of worldly anxiety; it is a great hindrance to spiritual life. -A. Vaughan
This is definitely my struggle. Although I agree with the sentiments, my heart often defaults to fear of the worst in order to prepare for it. This, at least, is the argument in my heart. Ultimately, we cannot add time to our lives. Sure, we can take care of our bodies and see a doctor when appropriate. We can choose to be proactive and reasonably safe--beyond this, however, the details are beyond our control.
My counselor once told me that the worst case scenarios we create in our minds are always worse than any reality that may come. This is a solid truth I touch back upon. It seems to me that as our culture moves toward a Godless perspective and evolution is accepted as a given, the trend is to think of the mind as merely an organ, no different than the heart or lungs. I refuse to reduce man to a spiritless creature; however, I do think it's healthy to recognize that the physical mind can be hard-wired in such a way that it is beneficial and not shameful to seek better health and treatment for optimum functioning. Sometimes this means counseling to work through head noise. Sometimes this means medication. There should be no shame in either.
Although we can certainly give way to fears, I reject the notion that anxiety is entirely a spiritual issue. I have had Christians in my past suggest that anxiety can be treated by more trust in God, more prayer, more repentance, more whatever. God built us with emotions---some of us are more sensitive, more prone to being swallowed by our moods, more prone to brood. King David certainly was. Saul was too. This pair is a good object lesson in how to deal with emotions. David sought God first, poured his sadness and fears unto Him. Saul became paranoid, self-focused, and set himself apart from God's directives, trusting in his own doings. Both were moody men, but they chose to process those feelings differently. I can't tease out all the particulars through these men or stretch this too far, but they suggest that the emotions are not the essential problem.
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