Don’t fuss

You may have read or heard this Bible passage over and over again.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?’”

However, in The Message Bible version, the passage is more specific and clearer. It says: “Don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more.”

I like the word “fuss” instead of “worry” because people have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives fussing over people, things, situations that are not worth worrying. To fuss (around) with someone or something is to keep bothering with someone or something; to worry unnecessarily.

Some people get into a frenzy because of a crumpled shirt. Others fuss over minor allergies or claim they have one where there is  none, or where there are only imagined ones:  Someone sulks in a corner because chicken was served and it will cause her skin to break into rashes.

I fuss over colored foods. I only eat fruits and veggies that are yellow and white. Halo-halo is good for me without the colored gelatin bits  floating around. So no one can force me to eat colorful foods.

I say I am lacto-intolerant so I want to be excused from drinking milk or soya. But I won’t whimper a bit if you give me ice cream. I  fuss over some trivial things really.

Indeed. “There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.” For one, there is our soul to purify for the eternal life we shall all have with God.

Notice how the Sunday gospels talk about the end times , the imminent return of Jesus our Lord, and the call to renew our lives so we can be worthy of being taken up with God when that time comes.

So why fuss over worldly things we don’t have?  Can we just be thankful that we have the basics — food, clothing and shelter? Remember we can’t bring our possessions when we leave this world.

Why fuss over other people who irritates us or whom we can’t bear to see? We are not the ultimate judge of what others do but God is, so can we just accept people for who they are?

Why fuss over trivial concerns when there is a bigger God who will take care of all our concerns? When all seems doomed and we don’t know what to do anymore, we simply surrender our situation to Him. He is always in control. He owns the world remember?

Reggae icon, musician, poet and songwriter Bob Marley wrote a song entitled “Fussing and Fighting”.

“Why’s this fussing and a-fighting?I wanna know, Lord, I wanna knowWhy’s this bumping and a-boring?I wanna know, Lord, I wanna know now

We should really love each other (love each other)In peace and harmony (peace and harmony), oohInstead, we’re fussing and fighting (fussing and fighting)And them workin’ iniquity (… iniquity)”

The song’s message is what we need to put to heart these days. Back in the 60’s, the anti-war slogan was “Make love not war”. The hippie age was tumultuous so the peace finger sign was a common gesture by everyone. No war, no fights, no complaints. Just love. That generation survived and even gave birth to the generation today. Still the fussing and fighting still pervades in society. When can we learn to take things as they are, people for who they are and life as simply as we can? This can give us  a more peaceful life.

In his book “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff … and it’s all small stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things from Taking Over Your Life “, author Richard Carlson writes “Something wonderful begins to happen with the simple realization that life, like an automobile, is driven from the inside out, not the other way around. As you focus more on becoming more peaceful with where you are, rather than focusing on where you would rather be, you begin to find peace right now, in the present. Then, as you move around, try new things, and meet new people, you carry that sense of inner peace with you. It’s absolutely true that, “Wherever you go, there you are.”

In the final analysis, a happy life is not achieved by being the winner in arguments or selfishly seeking our own desires. All the fussing over unnecessary things will not even give us additional points for heaven. It may even deter us from entering the pearly gates!