More Than - Daily Thoughts about God by Julie Cosgrove

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:25

This is my verse. So many times in my life it has spoken to me.

There was a time I over-worried about my appearance and what others thought. I was so self-conscious I imagined the giggled whispers. I chose fashion over comfort in an effort to fit in. I’d stare into the mirror and be jealous that this style didn’t look as good on me as it did on so-and-so. I would peer into my closet claiming I had nothing to wear. “Or about your body, what you wear.”

Sometimes I have wondered how I would squelch the echo in my refrigerator when payday was ten days away. Other days, food occupied my every thought. I’ve tried every new fad or program in an effort to battle the bulges. Meal planning became a demigod. Guilt flavoured every chew. “Do not worry about what you will eat and drink.”

And of course, life can be filled with worry. Will my job last? Will my child return to the faith? Will my husband love me again? Will I ever find happiness? When will the chaos settle down?

Jesus has the answer. Himself. Once we begin to grasp the concept that He is in control (when we trust Him) then the worry sloughs off. Life becomes more than our doubts, more than our material possessions, and more than our desire to be accepted. Our perspective shifts. We take our focus off ourselves and put it on the One who knows, and loves, us. And that is more than enough.

Father, help me to see the bigger picture — the one of you holding it all together. You promise that there is nothing I can go through that you do not already know about and can give me the resources to handle. Dispel my worry and let me trust in you. Amen.

By Julie Cosgrove