Give Us Our Daily Bread

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD. MATTHEW 6.11

The whole world is labouring for its daily bread. It had been so from the beginning and it will be so to the end. Only that the sweat and struggle for it are increasing day by day. Our forefathers worked for their bread during day and rested at night. But today, with the advent of artificial lights, we are now truing our nights also into day and toiling twenty-four hours to feed our stomachs and pamper our tastes for luxury. No wonder, it is taking its toll on our lives and we live shorter lives and unhealthy ones too.

The time has come for everyone, especially we Christians, to re-think the philosophy of life. Instead of following the ‘herd instinct’ of our present times we need to re-define the purpose of our lives and the reason for our labour. During the days of the Lord Jesus on earth, he noticed that everyone, the Jew and the Gentile, the believers and the pagans alike, were living hectic lives labouring for their daily needs.

Jesus cautioned His disciples and said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? .. So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them” (Mt 6.32,32).

Dear friend, while we all have to work for a living, we do not have to live to work day and night to feed our appetite for wealth. We must work hard and earn enough for us and to share with others in need, the Bible says. The Bible clearly teaches, “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need” (Eph 4.28). If you do not work, you should not eat, the apostle Paul said.

Dear believer, if you have little or no time to read your Bible and pray each day, to attend your church on Sundays, spend time with your spouse, children and friends, pursue your hobby or exercise your body, then you are too busy! It is time to say to yourself, ‘Enough is Enough’. Stop killing yourself working for money that will perish with you and start living and enjoying what you already have!

Jesus told His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” He told them to set priorities in their lives and trust their father in heaven for all their needs. He said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”( Mt 6.25, 33,34). Jesus was talking about your Father in heaven providing your daily needs.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to set my priorities in life right and live and work with divine wisdom, trusting in Your goodness and not in my labour. Amen.