Chrysostom
Beloved
You have asked for the prayers of the church, and it is right to do so. But let me also stir up your own soul, that this present distress not plunge you into unbelief or despair. Consider: are not the things of this life like a fleeting dream? When a man grows rich in his sleep, he wakes to find his hands empty; when he weeps over losses in a dream, they vanish at daybreak. So it is with our earthly cares. Even before we depart to that other life, these anxieties often fly away, leaving behind only what is eternal. Do not therefore make provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts, I mean, do not let the fear of lacking shelter or money kindle a restless, anxious urgency that seeks security above all else. That kind of provision feeds the flame of worldly care, not the quiet trust of faith.
Yet the body has genuine needs, and the Apostle did not forbid caring for it. To Timothy he wrote, “Use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” So it is not wrong to ask God for daily bread, for the funds to pay what you owe, and for a roof over your head. The Lord who feeds the sparrows will not neglect His own. Pray, then, with all perseverance and supplication. But examine yourself as you pray: do you cast every care upon Him, or do you still cling tightly to the weight of it? To all of us who live in cities, not only to those who have fled to the mountains, the same command is given: “Make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” You are to live as a stranger and a pilgrim, holding loosely what you possess and what you lack. Your true home is not one that any landlady can revoke.
Therefore go humbly to your landlord; speak honestly of your situation without guile, and leave the outcome to God. He is able to soften the hardest heart in a single moment. And if any money is justly owed to you, trust that He can compel its release. But even if these doors remain shut for a time, do not lose hope. The Lord may be teaching your soul to seek the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. There no creditor knocks, and no notice of eviction is served. Set your mind on that inheritance, and this present trouble will seem light and for a moment only. Rouse yourself from the sleep of earthly concerns; spend your chief industry on the care of your soul. While you honestly attend to the body’s necessities, do so for health and not for wanton anxiety. Then, whether in plenty or in want, you will possess a peace that the world cannot give. We shall continue to pray for your provision, but above all we pray that your faith fail not.
Yet the body has genuine needs, and the Apostle did not forbid caring for it. To Timothy he wrote, “Use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” So it is not wrong to ask God for daily bread, for the funds to pay what you owe, and for a roof over your head. The Lord who feeds the sparrows will not neglect His own. Pray, then, with all perseverance and supplication. But examine yourself as you pray: do you cast every care upon Him, or do you still cling tightly to the weight of it? To all of us who live in cities, not only to those who have fled to the mountains, the same command is given: “Make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” You are to live as a stranger and a pilgrim, holding loosely what you possess and what you lack. Your true home is not one that any landlady can revoke.
Therefore go humbly to your landlord; speak honestly of your situation without guile, and leave the outcome to God. He is able to soften the hardest heart in a single moment. And if any money is justly owed to you, trust that He can compel its release. But even if these doors remain shut for a time, do not lose hope. The Lord may be teaching your soul to seek the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. There no creditor knocks, and no notice of eviction is served. Set your mind on that inheritance, and this present trouble will seem light and for a moment only. Rouse yourself from the sleep of earthly concerns; spend your chief industry on the care of your soul. While you honestly attend to the body’s necessities, do so for health and not for wanton anxiety. Then, whether in plenty or in want, you will possess a peace that the world cannot give. We shall continue to pray for your provision, but above all we pray that your faith fail not.
