May 26
Week
I recently shared a message called “Leggo My Ego.” This message was about how our egos can create barriers between us and God and between us and other people. One way to keep our egos in check is to pay attention to how much we let ourselves worry.
Matthew 6:25-34 says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry 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? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
There are many definitions of the word “ego.” Even a lot of secular authors are writing about this subject. Here is the one I use: ego is the human tendency to put self-interest as priority and to advance scenarios favorable to self.
Now, worry and anxiety are actually manifestations of ego. You might say, “I can’t see that. Worrying about something just seems like being responsible.” Worry and anxiety are doubt and unbelief, which are symptoms of your ego. I will show you why.
When you worry about the things that Jesus said to not worry about—food, clothing, all this—you spend so much mental energy on those things. You are in essence saying to the Almighty God, “Let me take care of this. I trust myself to handle this better than You do.” This reveals the ego's need for reassurance and insecurity. Worrying is the absence of faith. Faith is trust.
How could anyone say to God, “Let me worry about this”? We really do say that when we keep thinking and overthinking. A lot of the stuff we're worried might happen doesn't usually end up happening, and we allow our thoughts to be consumed by things that we can't change. The apostle Paul writes to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (see II Corinthians 10:5). As long as you're worrying about it, it is not in God's hands. However, when you choose to give it to God, you are casting your cares upon Him.
It is just like the little boy with five loaves and two fish. There were only five loaves and two fish in his hand, but in the hands of Jesus, they fed a multitude. It's amazing what God can do when you relinquish the things you're trying to carry that you need to surrender to God. When He tells us, “Don't worry about this,” He’s not teaching us to be irresponsible. He's teaching us what to do—to not let the thoughts consume our brain bandwidth and steal our peace and contentment while we remain confident that God will intervene."
Watch my entire message “Leggo My Ego” now and download the audio to take with you wherever you go. Click Here
To be continued...
Also, check out the latest episode of my new program "Prophetic Chronicles" and witness real life testimonies of how people's lives are being touched by the power of supernatural personal prophetic ministry. Click Here
Blessings,
Chris Reed | President & CEO
MorningStar Ministries
Matthew 6:25-34 says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry 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? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
There are many definitions of the word “ego.” Even a lot of secular authors are writing about this subject. Here is the one I use: ego is the human tendency to put self-interest as priority and to advance scenarios favorable to self.
Now, worry and anxiety are actually manifestations of ego. You might say, “I can’t see that. Worrying about something just seems like being responsible.” Worry and anxiety are doubt and unbelief, which are symptoms of your ego. I will show you why.
When you worry about the things that Jesus said to not worry about—food, clothing, all this—you spend so much mental energy on those things. You are in essence saying to the Almighty God, “Let me take care of this. I trust myself to handle this better than You do.” This reveals the ego's need for reassurance and insecurity. Worrying is the absence of faith. Faith is trust.
How could anyone say to God, “Let me worry about this”? We really do say that when we keep thinking and overthinking. A lot of the stuff we're worried might happen doesn't usually end up happening, and we allow our thoughts to be consumed by things that we can't change. The apostle Paul writes to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (see II Corinthians 10:5). As long as you're worrying about it, it is not in God's hands. However, when you choose to give it to God, you are casting your cares upon Him.
It is just like the little boy with five loaves and two fish. There were only five loaves and two fish in his hand, but in the hands of Jesus, they fed a multitude. It's amazing what God can do when you relinquish the things you're trying to carry that you need to surrender to God. When He tells us, “Don't worry about this,” He’s not teaching us to be irresponsible. He's teaching us what to do—to not let the thoughts consume our brain bandwidth and steal our peace and contentment while we remain confident that God will intervene."
Watch my entire message “Leggo My Ego” now and download the audio to take with you wherever you go. Click Here
To be continued...
Also, check out the latest episode of my new program "Prophetic Chronicles" and witness real life testimonies of how people's lives are being touched by the power of supernatural personal prophetic ministry. Click Here
Blessings,
Chris Reed | President & CEO
MorningStar Ministries
