In 1936 Reinhold Niebuhr wrote what has become know as the Serenity Prayer for one of his sermons.  He wrote, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”  This is a wise thoughtful prayer that has become apart of our culture through its use by groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous.  I think it might be wise for each of us to pray this prayer often.

 

We have been led to believe that we have control over our own destiny.  As children it is drummed in to us that if we fall we can pick ourselves up by our own boot straps, whatever they are.  As children we were fed on Horaio Alger stories about poor boys rising through struggles to great heights through hard work and determination.  Anything is possible if you just put your mind to it.  But is that true?  Does one really have control over one’s destiny?

 

Niebuhr is right to pray Lord give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change because much of life, should I dare say most of life, is beyond our control.  A wise teacher once told me that a person’s future is determined more by what they refuse to do than by what they decide to do.  Life is a series of decisions to reject certain paths rather than picking one’s to follow.  It feels at times to be a process of elimination.  Even if you set out on a certain path it is still one filled with compromise.  Most of our opportunities are beyond our control.  Even in work it is often whom you know not what you know that moves you forward.  Life seems to pull us along.

 

After telling us to take care and be on our guard against the pull of greed that we looked at last week, Jesus in today’s text calls us to contentment because, as he rightly points out, we have little control over our circumstances.  If we are to be on our guard against greed Jesus tells us we must also relax and not be anxious about the cares of this life because we have little control of the things we are asked to face.  We must not worry about what we wear, or what we eat.  Life is about more than food and clothing.

 

This is a big step in faith no matter how you look at it.  We are consumed with food and clothing.  When life is about appearances than what you wear becomes of primary importance.  What will people think of me if I wear this or that outfit?  The fashion industry has already decided what we will be wearing next season and most will fall in line.  It becomes something you embrace or something you react against but fashion is here to stay.  Even subcultures have their own fashion rules and fashion sense. 

 

The one thing I said I would enforce if I were mayor would be full length mirrors in every household and they would have to be hung by every exit of every living space so that each person would have to look at themselves before leaving the house.  My thinking is that it could lead to a better quality of life except.  The flaw in my plan is that most people in their on heads think that they look good.  There are a few people who really don’t care but I would bet most people think that they’ve got it goin’ on.  Like it or not we are anxious about what we wear.  If it were not the case Jesus wouldn’t have made a point of it.

 

Not only do we fret about what we wear we worry about the amount of clothing that we have.  All of us have more than enough to wear, but in our world we can’t be seen in the same outfit twice in one week.  Better still to wear an outfit only once a month.  What would people think?  It is a societal issue.  Pick the culture, the people group whatever and you will find that style and clothing are given a high priority.

 

What are we to eat?  We do very little without eating.  We can’t have church without coffee hour.  My standing concern is that there are too many restaurants and not enough time.  Food is on our minds all the time.

 

In time of economic crisis these simple items food and clothing become major concerns.  They become more than preferences they become matters of life and death, of survival.  This all goes back to the petition, “Gives us this day our daily bread.”  When money is tight we begin to worry about how we will make do.

 

Jesus tells us to consider the ravens.  Birds neither sow nor reap.  They live day to day.  “Give us this day our daily bread.”  Jesus says that God feeds the birds.  We know that and we don’t ever give it a second thought.  He then reminds us that we are more valuable to God than the birds!  Do you believe that?  If God takes care of the birds which are of little value will he not take care of you who are of greater value?  “Give us this day our daily bread.”  Are you starting to get the idea about this petition you mindlessly pray often?

 

Jesus than raises the question about our mortality.  Can any of us add a single second to our lives?  It’s a rhetorical question and the answer is no we can’t.  Now we really don’t believe Jesus on this one.  We as a culture spend all kinds of money to join gyms or health clubs.  We obsess about being hydrated and we fret over everything we eat.  Yet our lives are in the hands of the Lord.  Athletes who are in shape die young and there are people who live to 100 who smoke and drink.  Should we exercise? Yes.  We feel better if we do.  Does it length our days what do you compare it do?  You can’t live twice once obsessing about your health and once not caring at all to compare the two.  Our days are numbered by the Lord.  Treat your body with respect; exercise, eat right and don’t be anxious because it is out of your control.

 

Jesus talks about the lilies of the field and how beautiful they are and again tells us not to worry about what we wear because he will take care of our needs.  When we obsess about what we wear, what we eat, and/or our health Jesus tells us we are people of little faith.

 

Our solution to worry is, “Give us this day our daily bread.”  We ask God to sustain us and we trust that he will.  Those with out God have no place to turn to have their needs met.  We on the other hand can lay aside these cares because God loves us and cares for us more than he does for the rest of creation.

 

What then should consume our attention?  “Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.”  We are to be kingdom focused.  Our concern is to be sure we are where God would have us to be and that we are doing what he would have us to do and that our focus in all that we do is spreading the kingdom of God.  As we go we are to be making disciples of Jesus, all of us.

 

I am reading the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  I am to the part of the story where the Nazis have taken over Germany.  The official German church (Lutheran) has sworn allegiance to Hitler.  The Confessing Church, those who have put the gospel first and have come out against the Nazi treatment of the Jews, is still trying to compromise with the government.  Bonhoeffer is about to be drafted into the German army.  He leaves for America to teach here in New York at Union Seminary, but he has a restless conscience.  He believes that he in good conscious cannot join the German army but he can not impose that position on anyone else.  That is why he leaves for America.  But he also believes that he should be with the German Christians who will suffer under Hitler.  As a Christian he must deicide not what is expedient for him as a person because then the decision would be clear; stay in American and teach theology and pastor the German immigrants fleeing the Nazis.  He must decide what is best for the kingdom of God.  He returns to German and trusts God to take care of him.

 

The question for all of us is what would God have us to do, how can we use our talents to further his kingdom.  This seems like a monumental decision that is set before us, but is it?

 

Jesus reminds us, “Fear not, little flock, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  God wants you to enter his kingdom.  He wants you to involve yourself in spreading it.  We pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Faith believes that prayer and acts upon it.  Jesus assures is that it will be answered because the Father finds pleasure in bringing the kingdom to us.

 

We fret about clothing, food, shelter, our health and our future and Jesus says don’t worry I have something better for you; the kingdom of God.  This seems like a good deal does it not?  What’s the catch?

 

“Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.  Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heaven that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.”  As always Jesus raises the bar.  If we are not to be anxious about what we wear and eat and were we live and our future Jesus tells us cut the ties.  Live with an open hand and trust God who takes care of the birds and the flowers.  If you have what others need and you don’t need it but find some kind of security in holding on to it Jesus says let it go.  “He that gives to the poor lends to God.” 

 

Storing up treasure in this world and when you die someone else reaps the benefits of your hard labor.  Give to God and work for the spread of his kingdom and you will be laying up treasure in heaven and you will reap the rewards for eternity.  What we do with what we earn reveals where our heart lies.  Our values are seen in what we treasure.  “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  James challenges us, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”  Christianity is a walk of faith.  Faith is more than right confession.  Faith is right action.  Not that we earn favor with God by what we do, but what we do reflects what we believe.  If I have faith I am concerned with the things of the kingdom and obeying the will of God.  Through faith I trust God to meet my needs and I put aside my anxieties.  The opposite of faith is an over concern for the necessities of this world.

 

Let us walk in the prayer that we pray.  “Give us today our daily bread,” and “Your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  These are difficult economic times but God is unchanged.  He is committed to meet our needs, are we committed to spread his kingdom?  We all must decide.