The Evil of the Day: Chase Lenard

Matthew 6:25-34

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? 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.

I have been living on this passage for the past year. When I wake up in the morning or am preparing to go to sleep, I anchor myself there. I would have liked to be able to surrender every doubt and anxious thought to the Lord, but I am still being perfected through his grace. Christians are called to give up a lot in the name of Christ. This often includes things that are precious: spare time, wealth, dreams, comforts, and even our worries. I think of the people who would follow Christ when he ministered and how he told them to drop basically everything they had and follow him. For example, the rich young ruler had wealth enough to live comfortably with excess. Having provision enough not to worry about life’s necessities is a blessing alone. He stated to have upheld the ten commandments since his youth, yet Jesus instructed him to give up his wealth to store up treasures in heaven. I can understand his reaction when he walks away sad. It is harder to give up everything when you have it all. Peter did not lose a six-figure job to follow Christ. He was a fisherman, not a rich ruler in his youth. I count myself blessed with a job that I love and provides pay for all my needs.

It might not seem weird for us to understand why Jesus spoke on anxious thoughts when reading it today. I see anxiety and worry prevalent in our culture. The grind mindset often brings work to the home. Unrealistic expectations can create a warped reality for what we should achieve in the day. In college I was riddled with doubt and worries about projects not being good enough. Most of the time these fears only served to paralyze me from starting because that meant that failure became an option. To never start was to never risk failure. Even after graduating and working full time, I can still run into similar problems.

Recently I have been refocusing my attention to take back my mornings for prayer and have a solid sleep schedule. It turns out when you get eight hours of sleep it makes a world of  difference. My days are no longer subjugated to anxious thoughts and fears. Sleep is a gift and a promise from God for rest, yet I would run from it. I used to avoid sleep because of the dread of the next day. Sleep meant that tomorrow would begin, and I would have left countless things undone. The dread of the next day starting was fueled by a cycle of sleep deprivation and anxiety. I was drowning in fear from waves of unrealistic expectations. I had to accept what I was able to realistically accomplish and have grace for myself. 

I have a wealth of worries and doubts that I am learning to give to God. When I cling to my fears, I am holding on to a lie that God’s love is not enough. I am tired of worrying about tomorrow, “for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” I will trust in the one who made me from dust and breathed life into me.

Chase is an alumni of La Tech Wesley. A beloved friend and leader, he enjoys skateboarding, painting, cooking, and spending time with friends. He is currently working as a high school art teacher and considering going back to school to pursue an MFA.