Last week, "G220" was posted with Galatians 2:20 quoted (NLT). In case you missed it, here it is.
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ.[a] It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Did you catch the second sentence? We don't normally associate this verse with one "on worry," do we? Many are familiar with Matthew 6:25, where Jesus tells us not to worry about everyday life; that our lives are so much more than what we wear or eat or drink; that God, who loves us so much, cares for us and provides. Matthew 10:19 - Don't worry about the speck in your neighbor's eye when you have a log in your own. Mark 13:11: Jesus tells the disciples not to worry about what they're supposed to say when they're at trial; the Holy Spirit will do the talking for them.
Who can forget John 14:27? "27I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." The last part is widely known as "Let not your heart be troubled."
Another favorite is Philipians 4:6-7, where Paul offers his encouragement: "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
We are told by Paul (who had a personal encounter with Jesus, by the way) that if we bring our worries to God, we will experience peace, beyond our understanding.
So, what about G220?
I think this verse speaks to our identity. Christ gave up his life and our old selves were crucified with him. Paul is telling us we have nothing to worry about - Christ beat death; death: the "worst" thing that could happen to us human, mortal beings. Jesus beat it. He beat death.
So while we're living here, in our earthly bodies, we can trust God who loves us and cares for and about us; Christ who loves us and gave himself for us to beat death.
Meditate on these verses - God's promises are there for us not to just read, but to take into our hearts.
What do you fear?
What prayer will you pray, putting the worry or fear into God's hands?
No comments:
Post a Comment