May 15, 2024 Devo

Do you know what most of us worry about? “First World” problems. Our laptops stop working (like Wanda’s did today). Our dishwasher breaks down. One of our two cars has a mechanical issue. Our air conditioner is acting up. Do you know how many people in the world never have these worries? A few billion. Because they don’t have these luxuries that we have thought to be necessities. It’s just one of the many ways that “stuff” steals our joy.
What’s funny is, these are things that Jesus says we really shouldn’t worry about at all. Look at the keyword that Jesus uses in our verse today. “Enough.” He doesn’t say don’t worry about “if” you’ll eat or “if” you’ll have clothes. Because He knows that for most of us, “if” is not an issue. It’s what. We worry about WHAT we’re going to eat or WHAT we’re going to wear. And when we worry about such things, we lose sight of a couple of really important things.
Worrying about First World problems causes us to become shallow and spoiled in our thinking. We start thinking that life revolves around the superficial. Things that half of the world doesn’t even have, and will never have, we think we can’t live without. It’s a warped perspective that we who are the privileged can easily develop. Follow that path for a while and eternal concerns go out the window. We’re consumed with keeping our lives convenient and comfortable.
Another thing that happens is we lose our sense of gratitude. Do you know what I’m NOT doing when I’m worrying about First World problems? I’m not thanking God. I stop being thankful that I CAN eat. I stop being thankful that I HAVE a roof over my head. I stop being grateful for the ABUNDANCE that God has given, because I’m focused on the little that I don’t have. Jesus tells us to stop worrying about everyday life. Whatever we have, it’s “enough.” Don’t let First World problems steal the joy and gratitude right out of our lives. Third World people would trade lives with us any day we want. That’s God’s Word for you today.