steeping.

sometimes my familiarity with certain passages causes me to miss out on what they're actually saying. i just assume i understand it because i've heard it my whole life. matthew 6 is one of those passages. i was reading it this morning and found myself skimming certain parts because they were familiar. so that's when i decided to turn to the message. i needed to read it in something less familiar, something that would maybe help me to understand it in a new way today. bingo. it was so good that i wanted to share it on here (i know it's long, but it's really good!). so here you go, matthew 6.25-34:

If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion -- do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers -- most of which are never even seen -- don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

(bold emphasis mine. obvi.)

when i'm anxious, when i worry, when i get distracted by things that don't matter, it's a sign that i don't really trust what i know to be true about god's character. since i know god and i know how he works, i don't have to worry about these things -- i can live careless in his care. i just love that. it's like being a kid again and not having to worry about anything -- just being completely carefree knowing my parents have it all under control. how much more does god have it all under control??

i also love the idea of steeping my life in him right now -- in who he is, what he's doing, and how he's providing for us right now. think about making hot tea -- if you don't let it steep, you miss out on all the flavor! i don't want to lose the full flavor of the present because i'm too distracted by the future or too anxious about things i think i need instead of being grateful for how he's already proven himself as our faithful provider.

and on that note, i think i'll go make some hot tea...