Don’t Worry

For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

Jesus warns us about the danger of worry in these seven verses. Worry is common in our world today. However, we can overcome fear and anxiety through trusting in Christ.

Excessive worry has some difficult consequences for the Believer. Allow me to mention three in this post.

1) Worry doesn’t change anything. Jesus’ words make this point beautifully. Who can add a single hour to your life through worry? The answer is no one. Why live in worry when we can live in trust? Anxiety wastes time and doesn’t alter our situation one bit.

2) Worry depletes our spiritual resources. Anxiety requires a great deal of effort and energy. Worry takes from your emotional reserves without replacing your spiritual resources. It is a bottomless pit that will consume you. Be careful, child of God.

3) Worry weakens our faith. We can either feed our faith or feed our worry. We cannot do both at the same time. It is far better to invest in our faith than to live in worry.

Obviously, there is much to be concerned about in world and our lives. Worry will come upon us. As Believers, we don’t have to live in worry. When fear overtakes you, talk to someone, visit a Godly counselor, see your Doctor if necessary. We all need help from time to time.

But also be reminded to “seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness.” He will lead us through these times of worry. And for that fact, we are thankful beyond measure!

Tony French