When you don't fret

My experience is that if there are areas of one’s life that one doesn’t fret about, God will supply one’s needs in those areas in a wondrous manner. For me it’s clothing. Clothes just come my way. I don’t know how. Which reminds me (as I write this) of the farmer Jesus tells about:

“The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear” (Mark 4:26-28).

The point is mystery. Which is to say, the point is God behind the scenes and not your engineering.

I don’t go clothes shopping; it doesn’t interest me. But no one knows that so that they should make me their charity. Last week, Juanita down the street just happened to bring over two beautiful sweaters that a rich friend of hers had tired of immediately. Last summer, I drove to Rhode Island to see relatives and drove back with two large bags full of expensive clothes my cousin Denise had outgrown, many with the price tags still on.

The corollary of my theory is that in areas where we fret and chase, God has less space to be wonderful. He is still the Provider, but not so as we see it. We think we have acquired everything by our wits; we think we made it happen.

Therefore, God commanded Gideon to cut down the size of his army so that there would be no question about how the victory was won (Judges 7:2-12):

“The LORD said to Gideon, ‘The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, “My own hand has saved me.”’ … Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained. And the LORD said to Gideon, ‘The people are still too many.’”

He pruned the army down to 300 men, and then went into battle against an enemy as numerous “as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.”

My father has never been motivated by money, and he has always had enough. My grandmother lived for money and died broke. It all seemed like a series of random coincidences in both cases. But it happened to Grandma the way Job said:

“For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me” (Job 3:25).

It is almost as if the very act of fearing for one’s clothes, money, or daily bread (which is in essence an act of unbelief) becomes the doorway Satan needs to gain a foothold and to destroy.

My father’s childlike dependence on God made space for Him to shine before the world and prove the truth He wants to showcase:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

The bigger our trust, the bigger the glory to God when He comes through.