"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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" Matthew 6:25
Of course we are to think about these things. Why were we made with brains — if we are not to think with them? It would be as if God bade us not to walk — after He had given us feet; or not to talk — after giving us tongues. We are to train our minds and to think with them, and think about the future too — laying plans with a long reach into the years before us. It is not forethought that is forbidden — but anxious worry and fear. We shall see as we go on, just what we are to do — instead of being anxious. At present let us get the simple lesson, that we are never to worry. This is not a rule with exceptions. It is not a bit of creed, that will not work in life. It is a lesson that we are to strive to carry out in all our days, however full they may be of things calculated to worry us.
But why are we not to worry? The "therefore" helps us to the answer: "You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore do not worry." So, then, worry seems to be serving mammon. We say we are God's children — and yet when mammon seems in danger of failing us — we get worried. Practically, then we trust mammon — more than we trust our Heavenly Father! We feel safer when mammon's abundance fills our hands — than when mammon threatens to fail, and we have only God. That is, we trust God and mammon. Anxiety about the supply of our needs, is therefore, distrust of our heavenly Father.
If we serve God only, we would not worry though we have not even bread for tomorrow; we would believe in our Father's love. Money we may lose any day, for "riches make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward Heaven;" but we never can lose God. Nothing can rob us of His love, nor rob Him of the abundance He possesses from which to meet our needs. So if we trust God — we ought never to be anxious, though we have nothing else.
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J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)
Prolific author and pastor of Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois, Rev. James Russell Miller served the USCC as a field agent in the Army of the Potomac and Army of the Cumberland.J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia. J.R. Miller D.D.'s lasting fame is through his over 50 books. Many are still in publication.
James Russell Miller (March 20, 1840 - July 2, 1912) was a popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
In 1857, James entered Beaver Academy and in 1862 he progressed to Westminster College, Pennsylvania, which he graduated in June, 1862. Then in the autumn of that year he entered the theological seminary of the United Presbyterian Church at Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Mr. Miller resumed his interrupted studies at the Allegheny Theological Seminary in the fall of 1865 and completed them in the spring of 1867. That summer he accepted a call from the First United Presbyterian Church of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. He was ordained and installed on September 11, 1867.
J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia.
Five years later, in 1880, Dr. Miller became assistant to the Editorial Secretary at the The Presbyterian Board of Publication, also in Philadelphia.