Our text today is Matthew 6:25-30
Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. 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. Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. 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?
Worry is a tempting yet unhelpful habit. Worry is paying interest on a debt you may never owe. Worrying is also like building a bridge over a river that may not exist. Worry is the habit of incessant overthinking.
What drives such unnecessary fretting? Underneath worry lies fear – fear of future unknowns, failures, and catastrophes. When we get caught up in “what if” thinking, worry breeds anxiety and robs us of our peace. We exhaust ourselves carrying burdens that exist only in our minds.
In Matthew 6, Jesus confronts this tendency to worry and shows us a better way. First, he points out how worry betrays a lack of faith in God our Father and Provider (v. 30).
Additionally, Jesus highlights the utter pointlessness of worry (v. 27). No amount of anxious thought has ever added a moment to one’s life. Worry only steals joy in the present.
Furthermore, Jesus argues from nature that if God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies, how much more will He provide for us, His children (vv. 26, 28)?
Finally, Jesus reminds us to stay focused on today instead of consumed with tomorrow (v. 34). Each day’s troubles are sufficient for the day.
Rather than allowing worry to rob our peace, let Jesus’ words sink deeply into us. May we turn our cares into prayers and trust God to quiet our anxious thoughts. He is faithful – and He cares much more than we know.
Lonnie Davis