[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] FW: [CWWC] It's Against My Religion

Sat Apr 17 14:55:08 UTC 2021

Thank you : Green Tie.  This is a good one.

Wan

From: Ohio-Communities-of-Faith
[mailto:ohio-communities-of-faith-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michael
Moore via Ohio-Communities-of-Faith
Sent: Friday, April 16, 2021 7:12 PM
To: ohio-communities-of-faith at nfbnet.org
Cc: mmoore11 at kent.edu
Subject: [Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] FW: [CWWC] It's Against My Religion

From: committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io
<mailto:committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io>
<committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io
<mailto:committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io> > On Behalf Of trish via
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Sent: Friday, April 16, 2021 6:45 PM
To: cwwc <committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io
<mailto:committed-walk-with-Christ at groups.io> >
Subject: EXT: [CWWC] It's Against My Religion

It's Against My Religion

You've likely heard the phrase, "It's against my religion", used as an
excuse to avoid unpleasant tasks. You'll also know that religions tend to
have forbidden practices. That's true across the branches of Christianity.
Can you think of any that apply to you now? Or does it seem that anything
goes these days? Of course, that's untrue, if we consider Jesus' Sermon on
the Mount, such as these words:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life." (Matthew 6:25a NIV)

There it is! Worry is against our religion! Yet, we do worry over our lives.
We worry over daily needs. We worry over being accepted. We worry over
future security. We worry over potential health risks. We even worry for
those who don't worry, who show no concern over their irresponsible ways.
Worrying can feel right: Why, if I don't worry, it means that I'm not caring
enough.

Interestingly, Jesus did not coddle the worriers in the crowd. Instead, He
criticized them, saying, "O you of little faith!" Worry, he said, is for
unbelievers; that's why they run after material things -- food, clothes, and
such. God's children have no reason to worry because their heavenly Father
knows their needs and cares for them. God's children are to be occupied with
matters related to the kingdom of God: God's presence, power, and kingdom
purposes.

Worry is "against our religion" for a good reason. As with any sinful habit,
it harms us and accomplishes nothing. It also harms God's reputation. When
we worry over temporal matters and chase after them, we convey the message
that God isn't sufficient.

What about huge worries like climate change, pandemic, and global
catastrophe? Such worries are definitely against our religion! Isn't God
bigger than our entire universe? Can God's eternal purposes ever be
overruled by human behaviour? Can God be outmaneuvered by political or
corporate empires? Can He not sustain our earthly home as long as our
presence here fulfills His purposes? Hasn't He got the whole world in His
hands?

Jesus essentially claimed that worry-free living is a distinguishing mark of
the Christian. Through resolute trust in Him, Christians convey to the world
that God is sufficient, no matter what the circumstance.

By now, you might suspect that my thread title is woefully deficient. It is.
It tempts us to focus more on what's forbidden than on what's gained in
exchange. Our Lord didn't merely prohibit worrying. He pronounced something
far better in exchange.

Can you see from the following text what's to be gained? Doesn't our gain
make it worth surrendering all our worries?

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of
God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus." ( Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, convict us of our needless worries. Inspire us to
repent of our wobbly faith that we may receive Your inestimable peace and
become available for Your higher purposes. Amen.

<https://sermonillustrator.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/nugget/129893795892/0
d3c445e83af8ab5bb96820dbea0a6e1/> Diane Eaton
Paisley, Ontario, Canada

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