“25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[g] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” – Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV)
Dr. Crawford Loritts, senior pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA is one of America’s most renowned Bible teachers. As a result, I wanted to know what he was telling his congregation about how to best navigate these uncertain and troublesome waters. Using the above passage from Matthew, I felt his comments were so comforting I knew they needed to be passed along to you.
The following are 3 Things Christians Should Ask Friends And Family Everyday During The Coronavirus COVID-19:
- How is your faith today?
- What do you know about God today? His character? His goodness?
- Who and what is first in your heart and mind today?
Those three questions represent our resolve during the Coronavirus COVID-19.
The following are 19 additional truths Crawford taught from Matthew 6:25-34 as part of this message:
- Say to your kids right now, “All my life God has been faithful.”
- God’s faithfulness is not tampered with, messed over or conditioned by any outward set of cicumstances.
- He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
- Rest is a choice, a decision, a response.
- We have to make up our mind what we are going to do in the midst of uncertainty. We cannot allow the uncertainty to dictate our response.
- Worry and anxiety is futile. God is faithful. We are called to focus. When we wander away from these realities we are left with our own resources. How is that working for us?
- God is reminding us through this pandemic that we are not in control.
- We can’t change what we can’t control. Only God can.
- People who don’t have a relationship with God are obsessed with the tangible.
- We live like unbelievers when we get anxious and worry.
- God has built in His creation a means for things to be taken care of.
- God cares for that which He created. All of nature depends on God, and God never fails.
- Only mankind depends on money. Money in the end always fails.
- The cure for anxiety is dependance on God.
- God is using this pandemic to paint us into a corner. “Who are you going to trust? Who are you going to depend on?” Your choices: emotional, drama, meltdown OR you are going to believe the Bible you have been quoting.
- God is not a dead-beat dad. He takes care of His own. God gives us everything we need to be sustained – in a crisis, through a crisis, or from a crisis.
- Tell your children – God’s care for me is not tied to the economy or COVID. God’s ability to take care of us is not tied to the stock market, to our economy, or to COVID-19, or any other pandemic that might come down the road.
- Worry throws us into a parentheses of misery.
- Three words to overcome worry and anxiety: – 1. Faith, trusting God to meet my needs. 2. Father, my Father cares for all. 3. First, putting God first in our lives so in all things He can be glorified.
What is one thing Crawford said which will allow you to rest in God during this unpredictable season?
Also, on March 26th, two of the smartest guys in Christian leadership, Todd Rhoades and Matt Steen of Chemistry Staffing are hosting a FREE webinar at 11:00 AM EST entitled Now What? Making The Pivot To Lead A Virtual Organization. Many pastors I know are now having to lead virtually. Todd and Matt will give you the best practices in doing so. Click HERE to sign up. You and your staff will not want to miss this.