What Truly Matters?

Worrywart? Fussbudget? [Titles my friends have bestowed upon me !]  Incessantly they talk about what might happen, whether they made the right decision, what to have for supper, how much to exercise! Incessant worriers place themselves at the center of their universe. Everything tends to be about them in one way or another. They serve only themselves in their small world. No wonder people find them unpleasant!

This Sunday’s gospel mentions worry four times and anxiety once! And Jesus is clear: Do Not worry! Telling us not to worry is like telling us not to be the center of our own lives. And that is exactly the point! If we choose ourselves, put ourselves first, we worry. If we choose God, the center of our lives shifts from ourselves to God then to others. Worrying draws us into ourselves, caring for others draws us out of ourselves.

If we choose God, we will feed on God’s generosity, be clothed in God’s gift of Life and be made rich in faith. This choice is sufficient not only for a day, but for a whole lifetime, even for eternity.

We need to hear Jesus’ admonition “do not worry” and choose not ourselves, but God. Choosing God as the center of our life increases our Life. Most of us don’t consciously choose ourselves as our master; we are subtle about it. The measure is our worrying. Obsessive worrying about things, future plans, success, security is a clue we have chosen ourselves as master. It is a clue we need to chose the most compassionate, most generous, Master: God. Jesus assures us that trust in God and reliance on God’s care are fruits of choosing God as master. The choice is ours.