Advent Devotionals

25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,[b] or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?[c] 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” 32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God[d] and his[e] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
 
When I began studying this scripture I thought, “hmmm, I need a good example.  What am I worrying about?” Well, that went south!  I started thinking about all the things I have on my plate.  Christmas decorating, gifts to buy, gifts to wrap, when will I have time to make cookies?  Moving my mom into our house, selling her house, helping my son move to a new house.  What am I going to make for dinner, why won’t my dog stop barking?  Did I pay the electric bill? I need to cancel mom’s cable, I need to buy dog food, I need to…. and that’s all on top of my normal to do list.  This scripture that was telling me not to worry or be anxious actually caused me to worry and be anxious to the point of breaking the dam of tears I had built up at our staff prayer and not being able to stop for 2 hours, just to have a sympathetic co-worker give me a loving look of concern and start crying again – ugh!  It’s two days later and my face is still puffy.
It's taken me those two days to realize that I took my eyes off of Jesus and put them onto my circumstances, and all for the sake of an example!  Good thing you all are worth it.  So, I wrote myself a note, feel free to insert your name and take my name out.

Dear Julia,
You are more than enough.  Give your anxieties to the Lord, and DON’T TAKE THEM BACK!  Worrying isn’t going to make things happen or not happen, it’s just a waste of time and does absolutely no good.  
Stop striving for things that the world says is important, instead strive for things of the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, He will provide all your needs.
Don’t be anxious or worry about tomorrow, God’s got it.  Focus on what God has in front of you right now.  
Love, Julia

So easy to write, but hard to do.  But let’s start simply (I am saying this to myself as well).  What does God have in front of you right now, at this very moment?  
Deep breath in….deep breath out…eyes focused of God.