The Man walked His talk. Although He admonished followers to “Consider the lilies of the field,” He did not suggest that we stride stupidly into a lion’s snare. To me, the lilies represent peace, sound judgment, and all that embodies the opposite of fear and anguish.
So, what do we worry about today? Whom do we hold suspect? Which fears should be honored as legitimate and which can we discard as useless paranoia? This morning, I read, “There is a level in every human soul which knows no conflict, competition, or contempt.” Within that level of consciousness, we can abandon needless worry.
When we fear someone simply because that person’s skin tone differs from ours, or their name for God is foreign to our ears, or their sexual preference does not meet our liking, we lose sight of the lilies of the field. These fears differ significantly from situations in which true danger lurks.
Perhaps, only one legitimate fear should exist loss of the compass that directs us toward internal peace. All safety in the world will be useless if we forfeit our spirit of calmness. Matthew 6:27 “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his lifespan? Consider how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet, I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.”
I pray for a compass, which will help each one of us distinguish differences in legitimate fears and senseless worries based on empty values.
Work Cited
Matthew 6:28. “New International Bible. 2016.