Living GoldenRule.com can be difficult when we get distracted by worries in our life. The cares and concerns of our day to day living nibble away at our good intentions. We forget that we have set out to “treat others as we want to be treated” It is easy to get distracted by our needs, but Jesus assures us that God will provide.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 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? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matt. 6:27-34)
One of my favorite early morning activities is to sit on the deck and watch the hummingbirds at their feeder and the sparrows and mourning doves at theirs. I think the birds have a lot to teach us about this passage. They trust me to provide for them.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 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? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matt. 6:27-34)
One of my favorite early morning activities is to sit on the deck and watch the hummingbirds at their feeder and the sparrows and mourning doves at theirs. I think the birds have a lot to teach us about this passage. They trust me to provide for them.
The birds have gotten so used to the morning routine that it I’m late filling up the feeder with seed, the doves and sparrows line the fence and perch in the bushes waiting for the food. Even more heart-wrenching is what happens when I take down the hummingbird feeder to refill it. There is nearly always at least one panicking little bird buzzing hysterically around where it is supposed to hang. I can almost hear him saying, “I know it was just here. Where did it go?” Sometimes they fly off to reassess the bearings and come zipping back to hover impatiently until I return the feeder.
I’m not sure that I always trust God’s providence for my needs like the birds do. Certainly, I should be, because I have seen God provide money or supplies at exactly the right time and in the right amount, but I am too easily distracted by the fact that I don’t see the solution in front of me. Like the hummingbird, I start panicking when I don’t see the feeder right there. I start flying around looking for help in all the wrong places.
Hummingbirds are surprisingly protective of their feeder as well. Rarely will two settle to eat at the same time. Usually it’s more of a contest to see who can grab a sip and then chase the other bird away. The mourning doves also try to hog all the food at the bird feeder, even from the one that they can't quite eat from. The one in the picture is trying desperately to balance and get the seed, but he's too big to fit on the perch.
We are more like the birds than we might like to admit. Our fears of not having enough keep us from sharing what we do have and trusting that God will provide. There are many who need our open hand offering help instead of our fisted hand protecting what we claim as our own.GoldenRule.com trusts that God will provide.
GoldenRule.com is not afraid of what tomorrow will bring.
GoldenRule.com invites others to come and be filled.
GoldenRule.com has open hands.
GoldenRule.com seeks the Kingdom of God by sharing.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”
What are you worried about that keeps you from treating others as you would like to be treated?
Is there a kindness you can do to share the Kingdom of God?
Maybe you can pick up an extra can or two of tuna for the local food pantry when shopping.
Perhaps it’s sorting your closet to see what can be donated.
It could be helping with a project like gathering school supplies.
Possibly it is getting involved with a bigger enterprise like Habitat for Humanity or Special Olympics.
GoldenRule.com is not afraid of what tomorrow will bring.
GoldenRule.com invites others to come and be filled.
GoldenRule.com has open hands.
GoldenRule.com seeks the Kingdom of God by sharing.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”
What are you worried about that keeps you from treating others as you would like to be treated?
Is there a kindness you can do to share the Kingdom of God?
Maybe you can pick up an extra can or two of tuna for the local food pantry when shopping.
Perhaps it’s sorting your closet to see what can be donated.
It could be helping with a project like gathering school supplies.
Possibly it is getting involved with a bigger enterprise like Habitat for Humanity or Special Olympics.
Did you find some new way to do a kindness for the sake of the Golden Rule? How did you feel?
Next week is the last in this series of GoldenRule.com. We will look at how we can Be Fruitful as we live the Golden Rule.
Jesus then goes on to ask “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, “Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,” when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”
In the same way this peacock mom is carefully watching and guiding her chick, (he's there between her feet and the bush), our loving Father gives us what we need. We each yearn to be treated as a Beloved Child, as a Princess or Prince. Too often we don’t believe we are loved by God. That rubs off in the way we treat others. We strive to grab all we can and to be first and “win” and forget that what we “do unto others” comes home to roost in their response to us.
