Lent Day 21 [3.28.2025] / Overcoming Worry

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34 / 마태복음 6:25-34

Matthew 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Overview:

After Jesus’ teaching about storing up treasures in Heaven, He commands us to leave our worries behind. The way Jesus presents the precedent to leading a life that is worry-free has an intentional message and reason why it follows His teaching about treasure. The precedent is revealed through creation. He asks us to pause our lives to look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the fields, and marvel at their untroubled lives and beauty; and then teaches us that we are much more valuable to God than they. The reason why we should not worry according to Jesus rests on the unchanging truth that His Father in Heaven treasures us. For this reason, we are not to worry about what we will eat, what we will drink, or what we will wear for our Father in Heaven will be faithful to provide then in abundance according to His will.

Worry leaves room for pride and greed. Worry feeds our prideful desire for control and independence. In Jesus’ teaching, He reminds us that not even one of us has the power to add an hour to our lives. We can make speculations and hypotheses, but no one can be certain what will happen in the future. This limitation comes in direct conflict with our desire to know and be in control; and this dissonance ultimately leads to worry. Secondly, worry leads to greed. When worry determines our course of life, we chase after material and worldly things to prepare for potential disasters or overcome the fear of missing out. This greed would motivate our lives based on the sentiment that enough will never be enough.

How to overcome worry?

Overcoming worry is a universal journey that we must all be obedient in. There is not a person who has lived, is living, or will ever live who has not or will not endure through worry and anxiety in their lives. We all live in the same broken world that gives way to worry and concern about our lives, our futures, our loved ones and more. Some people might have learned not to care but overcoming worry is gaining control over your thoughts and emotions rather than ignoring or running away from them. So how can I overcome worry?

If the symptoms and cycle of worry leads to pride and greed, then the opposite of worry is waiting. Moreover, waiting in peace, joy, and hope overcomes the habit of worrying in our minds and hearts. The willingness to wait on God’s timing, to wait on God’s provision, to wait on God’s response overcomes worry and finds deep satisfaction in the truth that God’s way is the best way, and His timing is the best timing. How does God communicate His promises to us through waiting? Waiting does not mean doing nothing or keeping things out of our minds or attention, waiting in the bible is an active response to all circumstances in our lives. The Hebrew word for waiting found in the bible is ‘qavah’ (Isaiah 49:23, Isaiah 40:31), which literally means to wait, to hope, and to expect. The imagery can be found in Luke 15 when the father awaits the return of his lost son. The father is actively waiting, outstretching his neck to see over the horizon, faithful in standing at the doorway every day in the hope that his son would return. Waiting, therefore, is an active and eager process, not a passive disinterest and carelessness.

When we pray, we often do not do it with the attitude of waiting. Without this hope in our hearts, prayer does not lead to peace but to more worry. Waiting is eagerly anticipating and expecting God’s response because of the faith that it will be the best response at the best timing. How can I begin to believe this? The second meaning of the word ‘qavah’ is to be bound, intertwined, or weaved together. This beautiful word reveals that when God asks us to wait, He does not ask us to pause, but to understanding that a season of waiting is a season during which God is intertwining His identity, His passion, His perspective, and His purposes with our souls and our lives. We know that such a process leads to a strong rope, a vast net, an intricate garment that can be used for greater purposes. If God has not answered a prayer in our lives yet, He is asking us to wait actively, be persistent and faithful in our prayers, be expectant and ever hopeful because right at this moment, God is actively weaving together our souls and hearts with His love and grace for greater purposes beyond what we can imagine. Overcome your worry by faithfully praying and waiting in expectation for God’s presence and strength.

Prayer:

1. God, thank you for you everlasting love that calls me your treasure. Help me to find in that truth the confidence to know that you will never forsake me even in my darkest times.

2. Jesus, just like you calmed the raging storm, teach me to overcome my worry by chipping away at my pride and greed.

3. Holy Spirit, guide my heart to wait eagerly for the Lord who is presently weaving, intertwining, and working out His great plan and work in my life.

   
   

개요:

예수님께서는 하늘에 보물을 쌓으라는 가르침을 주신 후, 걱정을 내려놓으라고 명령하십니다. 예수님께서 걱정 없는 삶을 살아가는 원리를 설명하시는 방식에는 의도적인 내용이 있으며, 이는 보물에 대한 가르침과 연결되어 있습니다. 그 원리는 창조의 섭리 속에서 드러납니다. 예수님은 우리에게 잠시 삶을 멈추고 공중의 새와 들의 꽃을 바라보며 그들의 걱정 없는 삶과 아름다움을 깊이 생각해 보라고 하십니다. 그리고 우리에게 그들보다 더 귀한 존재임을 가르치십니다. 우리가 걱정하지 말아야 하는 이유는 변함없는 진리, 즉 하늘에 계신 하나님께서 우리를 소중히 여기신다는 사실에 있습니다. 그렇기에 우리는 무엇을 먹을지, 무엇을 마실지, 무엇을 입을지 걱정할 필요가 없습니다. 하늘에 계신 아버지께서 그 모든 것을 신실하게, 그리고 하나님의 뜻에 따라 풍성하게 공급해 주실 것이기 때문입니다.

걱정이 초래하는 것:

걱정은 교만과 탐욕을 낳습니다. 걱정은 우리의 삶을 스스로 통제하고 독립적으로 살고자 하는 교만한 욕망을 키웁니다. 예수님의 가르침에서 우리는 누구도 자신의 생명을 한 시간이라도 더 연장할 수 없다는 사실을 깨닫게 됩니다. 우리는 미래를 예측하고 추측할 수는 있지만, 정확한 결과를 알거나 통제할 수 없습니다. 이러한 한계는 우리가 알고 싶어 하고 통제하려는 욕망과 충돌하며, 결국 걱정을 만들어 냅니다.

또한, 걱정은 탐욕으로 이어집니다. 걱정이 우리의 삶을 지배하면, 우리는 미래의 불확실성에 대비하거나 부족함에 대한 두려움을 극복하기 위해 물질적이고 세속적인 것들을 추구하게 됩니다. 이러한 탐욕은 결국 "늘 부족하다"는 생각을 심어 주며, 우리의 삶을 끊임없는 불안과 욕망으로 몰아갑니다.

걱정을 극복하는 방법:

걱정을 극복하는 것은 모든 사람이 순종해야 할 보편적인 여정입니다. 이 세상에서 살아가는 모든 사람들은 걱정과 불안을 경험하게 됩니다. 우리가 살고 있는 이 깨진 세상은 우리 자신, 미래, 사랑하는 사람들, 그리고 많은 것들에 대한 걱정을 불러일으킵니다. 어떤 사람들은 그냥 신경을 끄는 법을 배웠을 수도 있지만, 걱정을 극복하는 것은 단순히 무시하거나 도망치는 것이 아닙니다. 오히려, 걱정을 극복하는 것은 우리의 생각과 감정을 다스리는 것입니다.

그렇다면, 우리는 어떻게 걱정을 극복할 수 있을까요?걱정의 증상과 순환이 교만과 탐욕을 불러온다면, 걱정의 반대는 "기다림"입니다. 그리고 더 나아가, 평안과 기쁨, 그리고 소망 속에서 기다리는 것이 걱정을 극복하는 길입니다.

하나님의 때를 기다리는 것, 하나님의 공급하심을 기다리는 것, 하나님의 응답을 기다리는 것이 걱정을 이겨내는 길입니다. 하나님의 방법이 가장 좋은 방법이며, 하나님의 때가 가장 완벽한 때임을 신뢰할 때, 우리는 참된 만족을 누릴 수 있습니다.

하나님께서는 기다림을 통해 어떻게 우리에게 말씀하시는가?

기다림은 단순히 아무것도 하지 않는 것이 아닙니다. 성경에서 말하는 기다림은 모든 상황에 대한 능동적인 반응입니다. 성경에서 "기다림"이라는 의미를 가진 히브리어 단어는 ‘카와’(qavah)입니다. 이 단어는 단순히 기다리는 것을 넘어, 소망하고 기대하는 것을 의미합니다.

누가복음 15장에서 아버지가 잃어버린 아들을 기다리는 모습에서 이 기다림의 이미지를 찾을 수 있습니다. 아버지는 단순히 무관심하게 기다린 것이 아니라, 매일 문 앞에 서서 목을 길게 빼고 저 멀리 아들이 돌아오기를 간절히 기대하며 기다렸습니다. 즉, 기다림은 무관심하거나 방관하는 것이 아니라, 적극적이고 간절한 과정입니다.

기도하면서도 걱정하는 이유는 무엇인가?

우리는 종종 기다림의 태도를 갖지 않고 기도합니다. 이런 상태에서 드리는 기도는 우리에게 평안을 주지 못하고, 오히려 더 큰 걱정을 만들어냅니다.하지만, 기다림은 하나님께서 가장 좋은 응답을, 가장 완벽한 때에 주실 것이라는 믿음에서 나오는 적극적인 기대입니다.

‘카와(qavah)’의 또 다른 의미:

‘카와(qavah)’의 또 다른 의미는 얽히다, 서로 엮이다, 함께 짜여지다입니다. 이는 하나님께서 우리에게 기다리라고 하실 때, 단순히 시간을 허비하라고 하시는 것이 아니라는 것을 보여줍니다.

기다림의 시간은 하나님께서 우리의 영혼과 마음을 하나님의 정체성과 열정, 관점, 목적과 함께 엮어 가시는 시간입니다. 이 과정을 통해 우리의 삶은 단단한 밧줄처럼 강해지고, 넓은 그물처럼 확장되며, 정교한 옷감처럼 세밀하게 짜여지게 됩니다.

하나님께서 아직 우리의 기도에 응답하지 않으셨다면, 우리를 기다리게 하심으로써 더 크고 놀라운 일을 이루고 계신 것입니다.그러므로, 걱정을 극복하는 길은 하나님의 임재와 능력을 기대하며 신실하게 시도하며 기다리는 것입니다.

기도문:

1. 하나님, 저를 보배롭다 불러주시는 영원한 사랑에 감사합니다. 그 진리 안에서, 제 삶의 어떤 순간에도 하나님께서 저를 결코 버리지 않으실 것이라는 확신을 가지게 해 주세요.

2. 예수님, 폭풍을 잠잠케 하셨던 것처럼, 저의 교만과 탐욕을 조금씩 깎아내어 걱정을 극복할 수 있도록 가르쳐 주세요.

3. 성령님, 제 마음을 이끌어 주셔서, 지금 이 순간에도 하나님께서 저를 위해 놀라운 계획을 이루어 가고 계심을 믿고, 간절히 기대하며 기다릴 수 있도록 도와주세요.