Do Not Worry - Matthew 6:25-34
Do Not Worry
25 “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 than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Reflection: Yesterday Jesus admonished his disciples, telling them where their treasure was where their heart is also. Today, he gives us a scenario for showing us when our hearts are out of alignment with the right treasure what can happen. It can lead to a reliance on the things of this world for happiness. And this preoccupation has a symptom, worry. Worry is a sign that we are putting our trust in the wrong things.
Jesus lists a myriad of things we worry about and commands us, "Do not worry!" That's right this is not a suggestion but an imperative, do not worry! And yet this is something we see a lot of in the church, and if I were to be honest I see it in myself. And worry can be very destructive as it leads to anxiety and host of other symptoms that are not good for the body or the soul
So what is the antidote to worry? Jesus gives us two things to focus on as we get our minds off worry. One realize that God will provide for you all you need. This what we pray in Lord's Prayer, "Give us this day our daily bread!" When we pray for daily bread, we pray for everything we really need. And then Jesus uses an analogy with the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, and says if God provides for these parts of Creation, won't He provide for the crown of Creation that He has made in His own image.
Then, he gives us a second thing to focus on, which should be a memory verse for every Christian, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well." So there really are only two things we need to "worry about". Our relationship with God through Jesus Christ (righteousness), which is given as a gift to us by God through faith. And secondly, once we become God's son or daughter through faith, we are to be about God's business, bringing in His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. How do we do that? By seeking it. By being aware of it and then living into it. What you are doing right now by reading and reflecting on God's Word, is a first step. Then, as you hear God's voice and seek His will and then do it, you are bringing in His kingdom. It really is that simple, yet the cares of the world can crowd out God's voice and leave us ineffective.
Jesus thank you for opening to us the kingdom through Your righteousness. As we seek this kingdom first today, we have nothing to worry about. Amen.
25 “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 than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Reflection: Yesterday Jesus admonished his disciples, telling them where their treasure was where their heart is also. Today, he gives us a scenario for showing us when our hearts are out of alignment with the right treasure what can happen. It can lead to a reliance on the things of this world for happiness. And this preoccupation has a symptom, worry. Worry is a sign that we are putting our trust in the wrong things.
Jesus lists a myriad of things we worry about and commands us, "Do not worry!" That's right this is not a suggestion but an imperative, do not worry! And yet this is something we see a lot of in the church, and if I were to be honest I see it in myself. And worry can be very destructive as it leads to anxiety and host of other symptoms that are not good for the body or the soul
So what is the antidote to worry? Jesus gives us two things to focus on as we get our minds off worry. One realize that God will provide for you all you need. This what we pray in Lord's Prayer, "Give us this day our daily bread!" When we pray for daily bread, we pray for everything we really need. And then Jesus uses an analogy with the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, and says if God provides for these parts of Creation, won't He provide for the crown of Creation that He has made in His own image.
Then, he gives us a second thing to focus on, which should be a memory verse for every Christian, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well." So there really are only two things we need to "worry about". Our relationship with God through Jesus Christ (righteousness), which is given as a gift to us by God through faith. And secondly, once we become God's son or daughter through faith, we are to be about God's business, bringing in His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. How do we do that? By seeking it. By being aware of it and then living into it. What you are doing right now by reading and reflecting on God's Word, is a first step. Then, as you hear God's voice and seek His will and then do it, you are bringing in His kingdom. It really is that simple, yet the cares of the world can crowd out God's voice and leave us ineffective.
Jesus thank you for opening to us the kingdom through Your righteousness. As we seek this kingdom first today, we have nothing to worry about. Amen.
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