“Where we spontaneously look for ‘information’ on how to live shows how we truly feel and who we really have confidence in. And nothing more forcibly demonstrates the extent to which we automatically assume the irrelevance of Jesus as teacher for our ‘real’ lives.” - Dallas Willard
Who informs how you live?
Theologian Dallas Willard argues that we have misinterpreted Jesus as only having something to say about forgiveness of sins or as a commentator on broad ethical standards, and have mostly ignored his role as the teacher for our everyday lives. For the next few weeks, we’ll be looking at some of Jesus’ practical teachings on life, and exploring what they mean to us today.
Intersection
We are living in the toxic intersection of two cultural phenomena: A hyper-individualistic culture, a fear-driven society. To say that America is individualistic is not a surprise to anyone who has lived in the United States more than ten minutes. From an early age we are taught that independence from others is the ultimate virtue, and that dependence is a sign of weakness (Whether or not this value lends itself to human flourishing is not the point here). Our culture is also saturated with fear. Creating fear is a main objective for many influencers in business, politics, and religion alike. Fear is what helps companies sell products, politicians win elections, and churches gain membership. Fear of not fitting in, fear of what will happen if (Trump, Biden) wins the election, fear of going to hell—it pervades our televisions, social media’s, our conversations with one another.
These two phenomena combine to tell us a story: “The world is a dangerous place, and you are all alone to navigate it.”
Add to this an anxiety-reeking pandemic and an economic crisis and you have the perfect recipe for crippling stress and worry. Are you experiencing some of this?
A Conversation
Imagine for a second that you’re sitting at a table. Maybe it’s your kitchen table, or a table at your favorite restaurant or coffee shop. Take a deep breath. Become aware of the emotions that you’re experiencing right now. Worry? Anxiety? Maybe some confusion? Now imagine that Jesus has just walked into the room. He’s got a smile on his face and he starts walking towards you and sits down. You begin telling him what’s going on in your life, and you tell him the whole story. He listens intently to you, not interrupting you. He seems genuinely interested. You finish sharing what’s on your heart, and the two of you spend a few moments in silence. He has a thoughtful look in his eyes and he’s really considering what you’ve said—you can tell that he knows what you’re going through. He then looks you in the eye, and begins to say:
“My advice would be not to worry about what is going to happen to you: about what you will have to eat or drink, or about what clothes you will wear. Your life doesn’t consist of eating, and there is much more to your body than clothing. Take a lesson from the birds of heaven. They don’t sow or reap or hoard away in granaries, and your Father—the One in the heavens around you—sees to it that they have food. Aren’t you more important than birds?” (Matt. 6 excerpt, translated by Dallas Willard)
In these words, I sense Jesus tenderly inviting each one of us, his worrying ones, to remember who we are. God takes care of and provides for creatures that we consider to be of little value or significance. We are God’s children, that is our first and foremost identity. How much more will God take care of his kids?
“Sin is inevitable. All will be well, all will be well.” - Julian of Norwich
Yes, we’re going to go through a lot in this world. You are no stranger to this. But here in Matthew 6, Jesus is reminding us to remember that, at the end of the day, our Father is going to take care of us and our needs.
Jesus the Teacher is inviting us to let go of our worries and to trust the character of our Father.
HOW
Overcoming worry is a discipline—a daily one. Let’s practice:
Write down a list of what you need to do today. Then write down a list of what you’re worried about regarding the future.
Start the day by praying about what you have to do today. Ask for God’s help in those things.
Entrust your worries about the future to God. Express your trust to Him, even if you don’t feel it yet.
Be aware of your thoughts throughout the day. If you find yourself worrying about the future, redirect your thoughts to what you have to do today.
This is not easy, and we’re not going to get it all right on the first try. But together, let’s take Jesus’ advice for living . . . he knows what he’s talking about.
-Ian
If you’re not sure where to start, or you would like to pray or talk with someone, feel free to email me at ianreyes567@gmail.com, or another member of the Canyon Creek Project team at hello@canyoncreekproject.com.