Good morning. Today is Saturday, April 18th.

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

— Matthew 6:27

There’s a quote that goes like this:

“Worry is the antithesis of faith.”

Here’s what it means:

Worry and faith aren’t just different, they go in opposite directions. They’re two different ways of responding to the exact same situation.

Worry is trying to carry what you can’t control, replaying it in your mind and trying to figure it out.

Faith is trusting God with what you can’t control and choosing to believe He’s already ahead of it.

In the Gospel of Matthew it says:

Matthew 6:27 (NIV)

“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

Worry feels productive because your mind is active, but it doesn’t actually change anything. It just keeps your focus on the problem and makes it feel like everything depends on you.

And then a few verses later:

Matthew 6:30 (NIV)

“If that is how God clothes the grass of the field… will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”

Jesus shows that worry is really a struggle to trust God. It reveals that in that moment, you’re unsure if God will actually take care of you.

Worry isn’t just thinking about problems, it’s acting like everything depends on you.

Faith is realizing it doesn’t.

And at the same time, the Bible shows something really important.

In the Gospel of Mark it says:

Mark 9:24 (NIV)

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

This shows that you can believe and still struggle at the same time. Faith doesn’t mean you never feel worry, it means you bring that worry to God instead of carrying it on your own.

Worry doesn’t mean you have no faith.

It means you haven’t fully trusted God with that situation yet.

So the real takeaway is this.

Worry shows you where your trust in God needs to grow.

So know this: because worry and faith move in opposite directions… you can’t fully live in both at the same time.

When you’re not sure how to pray, A.C.T.S. gives you a simple path to follow: Adore, Confess, Thank, and Ask.

Adoration: God You don’t change Your mind. You finish what You start.

Confession: I still treat faith like a checklist instead of trusting Jesus.

Thanksgiving: Thank You that Jesus fulfilled the law so I don’t have to.

Supplication: Teach me to live by faith, not rules, today.

In Jesus name, Amen

“Fishes and Loaves” by Josiah Queen

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Thanks for letting us be a part of how you start your day with God.

See you tomorrow,

Zach | Start With God