“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? 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!” (Matthew 6:25-30, NASB)
The Bible passage above is a portion of the Sermon on the Mount, as reported by the Apostle Matthew, who was an eye witness to the event. This part of the Sermon is about the worries of the world, and specifically, how to cure anxiety. Previously in this chapter we saw how to pray using The Lord’s Prayer as a model (please see “Pray,” May 6, 2022). Jesus now shifts His attention to how we should defeat worry.
Jesus starts by saying, “For this reason . . . ” The last sentence of the previous paragraph says “You cannot serve God and money.” Can this be the source of anxiety for us? Jesus says, “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.” So we’re not to be worried about food, drink, or clothing, all of which require $$$. Why not? Jesus uses several examples to explain.
As for food, He says, ” 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.” Jesus goes on to explain that we humans are much more valuable than birds, so if God feeds them, He’ll surely supply our need for food! “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”
Next, 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.” Likewise, if God clothes the lilies and the grasses, He will be certain to provide us with clothing.
Jesus’ last statement seems to be an admonishment to His listeners: “You of little faith!” Jesus tells the crowd not to worry about where their next meal will come from, or how they’ll get the clothes they need. Why? God knows what our needs are, and He will provide. Jesus knows that they have the cares of the world on their minds. He tells them them they need faith. So the opposite of anxiety or worry is faith!
Faith that God will provide all of our needs, then, is the key to defeating worry. He doesn’t want us to worry, but to have faith that He will provide. God the Father painstakingly and lovingly created each and every one of us. How much does He love us? So much that He sent His Son to planet Earth to teach us, then to die, and take the punishment for our sins that we all deserve. God wants us to accept His Son’s sacrifice so we can go to heaven when we die. Jesus is our hope for salvation and everlasting life. If you haven’t made Him the Lord of your life, would you do so today?
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