Do Not Be Anxious

Let’s talk about worry. If you’re anything like me, chances are at some point in your life (or possibly more times than you’d like to admit) you’ve found yourself worried about something – and I’m not just talking about whether your outfit was going to impress someone at school. In reality, many of us have dealt with much deeper worries, like caring for a sick loved one, struggling in school, or moving to a new place. Worry is something that often exists in our lives, yet Jesus commanded us NOT to worry. In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus tells us:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing?

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Jesus begins with therefore, so it is important for us to look back at Jesus’ previous statements. This passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus first teaches about His new kingdom and commands for His followers. He was sharing some pretty radical ideas with those in attendance. He was sharing that the meek shall inherit the earth (Matt. 5:4), that anger is equivalent to murder (5:22), lust is equivalent to adultery (5:28), and perhaps most shockingly of all, to love and pray for their enemies (5:44). Jesus also shares with them how to pray, not as the Pharisees and hypocrites do, but in a way that acknowledges who we are to God and how God has provided for us (6:5-15). Then right before our passage, Jesus tells His listeners not to store up treasures on this earth, but to lay up treasures in heaven, which is where our hearts should be focused (6:19-24).

It is then, after Jesus has told his listeners that their focus should be heavenward, that he says “therefore, do not be anxious.” When our intentions are correctly focused on God, then we should no longer be anxious about anything. After all, we are so much more important than the birds and the lilies and grass of the fields, and God has graciously provided for their needs. Therefore, we should know and trust that God fully knows our needs and will provide for them. We are to look first to God and His kingdom, fully trusting that God is providing for us while we do.

In a world that is sinful and broken, it may feel impossible not to worry. Sickness, death, and overwhelming situations surround us each day. But the truth is, we need a perspective change. If we only look at the trials we face or our ever-growing to-do lists in light of their earthly perspective, then naturally we will worry. It is when we pause and realize how small some worries are in light of eternity and how meaningful our suffering is for the kingdom that we will have the right perspective.

Verse 27 always stops me in my tracks, “which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” In my worry, I am looking to myself for a solution, one I am not adequate to provide by myself. Yet, by worrying I try really, really hard to figure something out instead of looking to the truth that my worry will not help me one bit! Instead, I need to change my perspective and trust the one who has told me not to be anxious.

I know some of you may be like me a few years ago – I would be rolling my eyes saying, “yeah, that’s easy for you to say, but it’s not so easy to live.” Well, thankfully, Paul expands upon this idea in Philippians. Philippians 4:6-7 says:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

When we begin to be anxious, turn to God. Let Him know about your anxieties and praise Him for the way He has been faithful in your life thus far. This is another way a perspective change is useful, by reflecting on the past truths of how God has worked in your life that will help you to trust Him moving forward. Instead of looking at what is directly ahead of you, look back to His faithfulness to His people as a whole (the Bible) and your personal life. God promises the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard us.

I have seen this peace at work many times in my life at times where peace did not make sense. My mom was sick for a very long time and for a lot of that time I was one of her primary care-takers, but the peace of God was with me. When she died last year, the peace of God was with me. And as I face each day with new challenges, God’s peace is with me.

So I challenge you in this new year to evaluate your perspective. Are you trusting that God will take care of your every need? Do you believe you can have His peace that surpasses all understanding as you face life’s challenges? Each day seek first His kingdom and pray with thanksgiving. Then you will have the right, heavenly perspective you need to move forward in faith without being anxious.