“Follow Jesus’ Example (NOT Beaker’s)!”

02 Nov “Follow Jesus’ Example (NOT Beaker’s)!”

Read Matthew 6:25-34
Thought for the Day: Worrying only makes our problems worse.

The faithful and obedient assistant to Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, encountered his share of challenges over his years as one of The Muppets. When repeatedly called into increasingly difficult and absurd situations, Beaker does what he is told. However, every time he panics. While his chaotic freakouts provide comic relief, they never help Beaker. His inability to stay calm does nothing other than prolong disaster. In fact, because of his hysteria, Dr. Honeydew rarely makes any meaningful scientific progress. Things just go wonky.

We are much happier when we listen to the words of Jesus: “Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Even more than Beaker, those living in First Century Palestine dealt with their share of anxiety-producing sources. On an average day, they encountered the occupying Roman soldiers, diseases like leprosy, and even fear of famine. Rather than telling the people to embrace their fears, Jesus encouraged them to trust that God was in control.

As we live each day, how often do we react and worry like Beaker? Fixating on everything that can go wrong doesn’t solve anything – in fact, it usually makes matters worse. If we react to situations as one disaster to another, we aren’t trusting God. Let’s stop trying to solve our problems by fixating on them and producing more anxiety. When we remember Who is in control, we learn that we don’t need to panic like Beaker. Instead, we can slow down, trust God, and enjoy life.

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David