It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when the demands and uncertainties of life increase. And fear and anxiety are quick to creep in when it seems we don’t have enough to meet even our basic needs. It’s helpful to remember during these times that our Father still owns the whole world and everything in it – the cattle on a thousand hills and every other provision we might need.
Of course, we feel the burden of providing for our families and we’re committed to doing whatever it takes. But it’s only natural to get a bit anxious when we realize how much is outside of our control.
Rising prices, unexpected expenses, and months of lean income are not things we can always predict or control. And it’s tempting to let fear get the best of us during these times.
While fear can be a good motivator when used wisely, it can also expose our lack of faith when it’s not.
On the one hand, it challenges us to rise to the occasion. The status quo is no longer working. Something has to give and it’s time to take that next step forward in faith.
But ideally this step forward is truly in faith and not in fear. We’re operating in fear when worry and despair causes us to take our eyes off God and we feel like we must accomplish life in our strength alone.
God’s provision for us does not depend on the stock market, the housing market, or who’s in office. Nor do we have to fret when doors close, opportunities seem to dry up, or when we’re going through particularly lean seasons.
To be sure, God’s provision doesn’t mean we will necessarily live a life of luxury according to the standards of the world. All the same, there remains a deep peace that the same God who feeds the birds and clothes the flowers is still more than able to provide us with what we need.
In the end, there’s no need to worry about having enough when the whole world is God’s and he will graciously provide you with what you need.
Photo by Jakob Cotton on Unsplash
