Anxiety for the Future Often Arises from Some Unholy Passion
Beecher. Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say to you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body… Fear still sits in the window. "What seest thou? " says Vanity. "Whisperings are abroad," says Fear. "Men are pointing at you — or they will, as soon as you come to a point of observation." "O my good name!" says a man. "All that I have done; all that I have laid up — what will become of that? Where is my reputation going? What will become of me when I lose it, and when folks turn away from me? O trouble I trouble fit is coming!" What is it? Fear is sitting in the window of the soul, and looking into the future, and interpreting the signs thereof to the love of approbation in its coarsest and lowest condition. Fear still sits looking into the future, and pride, coming up, says, "What is it that you see? I see," says Fear, "your castle robbed. I see you toppled down from your eminence. I see you under base men's feet. I see you weakened. I see you disesteemed. I see your power scattered and gone." "O Lord; what a world is this!" says Pride. Now, that man has not had a particle of trouble. Fear sat in the window and lied. And Pride cried, and Vanity cried, and Avarice cried — and ought to cry. Fear sat and told lies to them all. For there was not one of those things, probably, done there. Did Fear see them? Yes. But Fear has a kaleidoscope in his eye, and every time it turns it takes a new form. It is filled with broken glass, and it gives false pictures continually. Fear does not see right. It is for ever seeing wrong. And it is stimulated by other feelings. Pride stimulates it; and Vanity stimulates it; and Lust stimulates it; and Love itself finds, sometimes, no better business than to send Fear on its bad errands. For love cries at the cradle, "Oh, the child will die!" It will not die. It will get well. And then you will not be ashamed that you prophesied that it would die. You put on mourning in advance. (Beecher.) Parallel Verses KJV: Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? WEB: Therefore, I tell you, don't be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food, and the body more than clothing?