Providence Overcomes Worry
one
Both the fear of suffering and the fear of death arise from the fear of loss.
Suffering is the fear of the loss of some worldly thing. Death is the loss of everything in this world. In Matthew chapter ten Jesus provides the solution to the fear of loss. He tells his followers that Heaven is the goal, not this life; we should live our faith openly and speak the truth boldly; and we are not to be anxious because God is our Father, He is taking care of you.
two
Jesus tells us not to be anxious.
Everything in the world fluctuates up and down: your health, the people around you, your work, the economy, and the state of the world.
Anxiety is your soul fluctuating in time with the rhythm of this world – up and down, round and round.
The peace Christ wants to give is a stability of the soul that is in sync with God, the only stable and absolutely reliable thing.
Peace comes from doing and accepting the will of God for in his will is our peace.
three
Jesus sent the disciples out two by two to proclaim the kingdom of heaven was close at hand.
We should be more concerned, give more attention and effort to the development of our soul and the souls of others.
Make daily meditation, learning and thinking about the truths of our faith and reflecting on our lives in relation to these truths the priority. Then live out a resolution flowing from our meditation. This is the most important way to develop our soul.
The best way to work for the souls of others is through spiritual friendship. Through authentic and unconditional friendship work to help your family and friends to develop their souls through daily mediation.
Then share life together regularly and don’t be afraid to talk about these things. Ask them what they have been reading and reflecting on in their meditation.
four
Jesus said to his followers: “Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.”
We should not be surprised or discouraged when we meet the cross and suffering. The cross is part of the fabric of life, not something unusual. Accept the cross with trust and offer it to Jesus with love. It will come in forms: your own limitations; opposition from the world (we expect that); opposition from those in your family and friends (we don’t expect that).
Jesus said: Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me cannot enter the Kingdom.
five
God’s providence will take care of you.
Providence is beautiful word. It comes from the Latin “providere” which means to see.
God is our Father
a. He sees all that we go through from the beginning of the world. Things are not out of control and God is not caught off guard. Everything we go through is already in his plan.
b. Even though we may not understand what we are going through, God does, he sees, he understands when it appears senseless to us. Nothing is without meaning and purpose. God knows why this is happening and it is not in vain.
c. God will see that everything works in your favor if you respond with faith, hope and love. He works all things for good for those who love him.