Does Jesus like bacon?

As I’ve gotten older I’ve started enjoying listening to talk radio on the drive into work. I used to get really frustrated because I wanted music. And I still want music. But sometimes it’s interesting to sit and listen to other people and their perspectives.

I heard on the radio yesterday morning that one of the hosts had encountered a question from his son about whether or not Jesus liked bacon. And coming from a child, I think that’s a perfectly adorable question. Culturally, it’s an intriguing question. But realistically, does it matter?

To me, a question like that is up there with asking if God can create a rock that’s too heavy for Him to lift. It’s just not important.

But was really surprised me was the response that some of the listeners had. Someone called in and started talking about how he was sure there would be steak in heaven because he can’t eat it now and he wants to be able to eat it in eternity. And he just didn’t think God would allow there not to be steak in heaven for that reason.

And—okay, let’s just be real here. I like food. Okay? I like food a lot. I like just about any kind of food too (except turnips, but they aren’t really food). Do I want steak in heaven? Well, sure. I like steak. But aren’t there more important things to be concerned about in eternity than what we’re going to be eating?

Today’s verses are Matthew 6:31-33.

A random pig (not my photo)

So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

I heard someone once talk about how much wealth people would have in heaven. That’s also an interesting topic. But honestly I think that the standards of wealth will be different in eternity. How do I know that? Well, I can point to an obvious answer (Revelation 21:21). On Earth, gold is precious and valuable. In heaven, gold is tantamount to concrete. It’s paving material. It’s what we will walk on.

Heaven’s perspective of riches is different than Earth’s. We put so much value on things that just don’t matter. We worry about things that don’t matter. We focus on things that don’t matter.

And if Jesus told us not to worry about what we’re going to eat when we’re living on earth, I really don’t think we’re going to need to worry about what we’re going to eat when we’re in heaven.

What we need to be focused on instead is who is going to be there.

I like steak as much as the next person. But whether there will be fruits that taste like steak or steak itself isn’t important. I’d much rather focus on who will be sitting across the table from me eating it with me.

Worry and stress are like bread and butter

Do you ever feel like your life is spinning out of control? Like there’s so much happening around you and to you (good and bad) that there’s no way you can keep track of it all? It feels like rush hour in the tube in London. You’re there with a purpose, but you can’t make any headway because there are too many people in the way, not enough room, and too much noise–so much noise. And you can’t control any of it. You can control yourself. You can control your reactions. But you can’t control other people, and you can’t control when the train gets there, and you can’t control how much space is left on the cars.

It’s so easy to worry about the stuff we can’t control. It’s so easy for me to sit here and let my mind wander about everything that could go wrong, and even though I may have the best of intentions, even though I may just be wanting to plan for those eventualities, it’s just one step further to let myself start worrying.

Cannon Street Underground Station, London, England

Today’s verse is Matthew 6:31-33.

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

This is from one of Jesus’ more famous messages, usually called The Sermon on the Mount. If you’ve ever heard of the Beatitudes, this is the same message that includes them.

It’s not a new message. Jesus talked a lot about not worrying, about trusting God, about moving forward with confidence and hope. The rest of the Bible is full of examples and stories about how worrying isn’t useful.

Worry is a waste of time. Going back to the tube illustration, you can stand in the station and worry about whether or not you’ll be able to get a spot on the train, but you only have two options–either there’s a space for you or there isn’t. If there’s a space, you’ll get on. If there’s not, you just have to wait till the next train. Maybe you won’t get to your destination when you thought you would. But worrying about it won’t accomplish anything–other than to wear you out.

Haven’t you noticed? Worry is exhausting. It’s an emotional roller coaster. We wear ourselves out worrying about things we can’t control anyway and by the time we reach our destination, we’re too tired to accomplish anything meaningful. What good does that do? What is the point? We have a culture that thrives on anxiety. Worry and stress are two of the mainstays of the American emotional diet, and there’s a concept out there (especially in the corporate world) that if you aren’t worried or stressed out about something, you’re not doing something right.

And that’s ridiculous.

I don’t want to worry anymore. I don’t want to be worn out and stressed out and anxious about things I can’t control anyway. I don’t want to waste my precious, limited time worrying about whether people like me or like what I have to say, although as a performance-driven people pleaser those two things are the bread and butter of my emotional diet.

I work and worry and stress myself out to accomplish the things I think I need to accomplish, and most of my stress and anxiety comes from those self-inflicted deadlines. But are those the things I need? I think I need them. But God is the one who knows for sure.

In the verses previous to this passage, Jesus is talking about the birds and about how they don’t worry about what they wear or what they eat and God provides for them. And if God cares for the birds, doesn’t He care for us more? God will take care of us. And the thing is I know that. I’ve seen it. He’s provided for me in so many ways that I can’t keep track, and it’s complete and utter foolishness to forget it or to doubt Him simply because I don’t know what’s around the corner.

All I need to do is seek Him. I need to live my life the way the Bible says. And He will take care of the rest. I need to trust my dreams and wants and goals to Him. I mean, He gave those things to me anyway, and they’re better off in His hands because He can truly make them happen, whereas I will just flail around like a turtle stuck on its back and wear myself out getting nowhere.

God knows what I need, and He’s a good God. He won’t withhold something out of spite. He won’t refuse me just because He can. He doesn’t abuse power like that. If I think I need something and He hasn’t given it to me, maybe I don’t need it at all. Or maybe I need something else first. That’s between me and Him–and Him and you. But either way, worrying gets you nowhere. And it accomplishes nothing.

So don’t waste time with it. It’s hard. Trust me, I know how hard it is to choose not to worry when it’s so much easier to hold on. But once you learn how to let go, it’s addicting. And it’s such a relief.

Do what God wants. Live for Him. Let the rest go. You’ll enjoy life more, and by the grace of God, you’ll accomplish great things because God will intervene and do more through you than you ever could have on your own, even if you prepared for it.