Oct 08.99: Light For The Day - "When You Worry About Money."

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.
-- Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

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LORD, I have just balanced my check book. 
And now I must turn to you to find calm and
peace. And dignity as well. This dignity
which has been eroded for twenty years
because of the awful worry about "making
ends meet."

This peace which I'm deprived of for fear of not
getting through another month. This calm which 
I lose when my small income disappears and I
never have a penny left.

What I fear, LORD, is not really poverty. With
Your grace I'll survive one way or another.

What I'm afraid of is degradation. Afraid of no
longer thinking of anything but money, just
because I don't have any. Afraid of always
making easy comparisons which others who
earn more. And this a hundred times a day, in
front of shop windows and at the counters of
department stores.

LORD, I'm also afraid of jealousy. Afraid of
saying, with a scornful grin, "Some people are
just lucky ..." Afraid of hatred also. and to top
it all off, LORD, I've discovered that I'm getting
greedy.

That's why I'm talking to you, LORD. To ask
you for the grace to let me keep my dignity.

-- Paul Geres.

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Matthew 6:25-34 (Do Not Worry)

"27 Who of you by worrying can add a
single hour to his life?"

"34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself. 
Each day has enough trouble of its own."