Does it matter?

 These are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. And Adah bore to Esau, Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel; and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

Genesis 36:1-5 (ESV)

We do not see much Scripture dedicated to the life of Esau. Instead, we are told of the land he settled, and the names of some of his wives and children. We are told somewhat about the conditions of the land for raising livestock.

Esau seemed to live an ordinary life ordinarily, in contrast to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Esau is known for selling his future for a bowl of porridge, not for walking intimately with God and seeing Him work.

What will you be known for?

What will I be known for?

Does it matter?

This life has a purpose, but it is not our ultimate purpose

And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Genesis 35:27-29 (ESV)

We are sojourners on this earth. We have appointments to make while we are alive, and there is a final appointment we will make when it is our time to die.

This life has a purpose, but it is not our ultimate purpose.

Death is something the rich and poor, famous and infamous, and churched and unchurched, have in common. Death will always evoke strong emotions in that it brings all important matters into focus. The wisest thing a person can do is to prepare for the day of their death by investing in what comes after death and will never end.

Today we speak of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because of God's faithfulness to them and their choices in life. We do not refer to God as the God of Abraham, Esau, and Jacob.
Will the next generation refer to God as the God of (your name) or will they need to look elsewhere to see how God has worked?

For now, the choice is ours.
 

Remember

 

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV) We are often troubled by thinking about ourselves as superior to those around us. We always have a good motive for our actions, and an excellent reason to be angry with those who get in our way. In some strange way, we want to be like God, where all we do and say is "right," and those who question us are wrong. Yet, we are not God, and this thought process breeds tension and division. We can never be at peace while wishing harm on others. All of us are sinful and need God's mercy and grace; we would be wise to remember this when others do things to hurt us.

God enjoys us!

 "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Matthew 6:7-13 (ESV)

We often put pressure on ourselves to pray appropriately. Unfortunately, this pressure can fuel anxiety as we focus on method over substance.

The Lord's Prayer, as an example, should put us at rest after reading the first line. Those who pray effectively pray to their Father.

As a father, I have not been as concerned with the proper method of communication as I have been with the content of the communication. I always want my children to talk with me, and I realized throughout the years that their approach changes as their seasons of life change.
God enjoys us and enjoys our communication with Him. If He is your Father, you need to relax and speak to Him as His loved child. There is no need to be anxious.

Sustainable energy for the challenges life presents.

 

"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:5-6 (ESV) The constant pressure of performing to an acceptable, even admirable, standard to others breeds anxiety. Anxiety comes from the fact that our show may be lame or unappreciated. Those who perform in public must also concoct some sort of answer to their prayers, so the commoners are impressed. This, too, breeds anxiety. When the pressure for success is fueled by our ability to perform rather than in Christ, we drown in our anxious thoughts. Knowing the will of God and living in obedience to Him is the fuel of our future and always results in sustainable energy for the challenges life presents.

Anxious people miss out on the joy of generosity.

 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV)

Those trying to impress others are constantly anxious because their peace comes from what others think of them. But unfortunately, this variable is continuously changing, and is usually fueled by gossip, slander, and politics.
Peace of heart comes when we serve God from a heart of worship, whereas anxiety is a barometer notifying us of an imminent heart storm. As we commit our way to God, we depend upon Him to sustain us, which erases all anxiety. When we give, we bless and imitate our Heavenly Father, who constantly gives.
Anxious people miss out on the joy of generosity and the thrill of being an instrument of God.

Ordinary if you know God.

 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry.  Esther 4:1 (ESV)

Queen Esther was anxious because she was planning to risk her life on behalf of her people. Fear of death, pain, suffering, humiliation, and the unknown is a crucial element of anxiety.
"All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come into the king these thirty days."

And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your Father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Esther 4:11-14 (ESV)

Trusting the Lord to deliver the righteous is not extraordinary; it is ordinary if you know God. If Esther looked at the protocol and thought about others who broke with expectations with this king, she would be worried.

Mordecai saw the problem and God's provision in the placement of Esther. Stability and peace were dependent upon Esther using her position to run into rather than away from the pain.
Sadly, some people wanted to kill all the Jews, yet sadness is different than anxiety. The consequences of sin will always bring sadness, yet those who focus on Christ and His power, plan, and provision will be at rest.