Be Anxious for Nothing?

“Be anxious for nothing”?!

Is that really what the words mean?

Give me a minute to explain.

 

My blood pressure at the endodontist was high. The assistant who gave the news to the doctor seemed concerned. The doc said,

“If I had to be here, I’d have high blood pressure too.”

Then the endo sent me to the oral surgeon because my tooth was beyond repair. I had to have nitrous oxide just to calm down.

Was I anxious? You bet! Yes, I know Matthew 6 tells us not to be anxious about anything.

BUT, the root word for “anxious” or “worry” in these passages means “to be divided” or “separated.”

So how am I “divided” by physical trauma? The context helps. In the “don’t be anxious passages” the concern is the second coming of Jesus. His point? Don’t separate yourself, don’t be so focused on the physical world, that you forget or set aside the event to come, Christ’s return.

Thanks for spending this minute with me, Dr. Mark Eckel.

Mark Eckel (MA English, ThM Old Testament, PhD Social Science Research) is Executive Director of the Center for Biblical Integration, Liberty University.

“Give Me a Minute” is an ongoing effort to simply, clearly, and quickly explain aspects of true Truth.

Gratitude, as always, to my longtime friend, videographer, and tech guru Josh for his continued service.

PART TWO next week!