“Worry Free”: A SOAP Journal Based on Matthew 6

S = Matthew 6:24-25 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

“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?

O = When people consider this well-known passage about not worrying or being anxious they usually start in verse 25. However, it is a good idea to take our clue from the first word of v. 25 “Therefore” and track back to the previous section to which it is referring (v.19-24). The passage that addresses our worries and anxiety is the result of the section that talks about the place of our investment and the person of our devotion. Having invested our life and our love wisely goes a long way towards reducing our circumstantial anxiety. The reader is encouraged to invest in heaven and be devoted to God not money because heaven is a sure deal and God values you, knows your needs, and will provide for you day by day as you seek him.

A = So I have to ask myself, what am I living for? Can it be taken away or is it beyond the reach of all grabbers, gobblers, and grunge? My heart will be where my treasure is. If it is in my hands then it is my job to protect it, preserve it, and polish it. That makes me a bit nervous. But if I realize that my true treasure, value, and legacy are in Christ then my devotion impacts the concerns that come my way. So if someone was to look at my bank statement what would it say about where my heart and devotion is? If I was to ask my friends what I am passionate about what would they say? My life doesn't consist of the things I have collected but of the love I have given.

P = O Lord, thank-you that when I trust you I have nothing to worry about. I know that I may face hard circumstances but it doesn't change who I am as your child. You love me more than I deserve and offer me a life and a future better than I can imagine. This week, show me how to love you more fully, to trust you more completely, and to walk patiently with you—taking this life one day at a time. Amen.