καλὸς ὁ βίος· ἡ ἡσυχία θησαυρός

Life is good, and leisure is a treasure. Well, my translation is probably off, but that’s about as good as I can do as a beginner in Ancient Greek. Among the many perks of studying this beautiful language is that you come across great reading material. Recently I came across this line, which reminded me of another Greek verse which, in my opinion, does a great job at complementing it:

μὴ μεριμνᾶτε τῇ ψυχῇ ὑμῶν

A rough translation would be: don’t be anxious about your lives. If you’re looking for a good translation, you can find this line on Matthew 6:25 on any translation of the New Testament. This verse, along with many others, formed part of the “Sermon on the Mount”, a collection of teachings by Jesus.

Why shouldn’t we be anxious about our lives? Well, the following verses (26 to 34) explain why. In short, because God is with us. Maybe not like a magic genie that grants your every wish, but more like a caring father that guides and watches over us, but at the same time, lets us fall down and make mistakes, only to help us get back up on the other side.

Now, I don’t intend on writing up a devotional, since I’m lacking both time and experience for that. But, when going through an anxious time, some reassuring words might be just what you need. If you don’t know where to look, then take my suggestion: Matthew 6:25-34. Τhanks to the hard work of many volunteers, you can find verses like this in just about any written language. So, go ahead, and check it out. It makes for great devotional material.

I know several close persons that are going through a rough time, most because of a loss of a loved one, others because of some unwanted change in their life. And I also know that the phrase “don’t be anxious” is easier said than done. But that’s why it’s important to have a good reason not to be anxious; and to make that reason a part of your daily life. I invite you to try it out; it worked for me.

NOTE: This is a repost of a post I wrote in April 2016 on a previous blog.