Jesus on 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? "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 NASB

As I write this devotional there is a temptation on my part to just repeat the words of Jesus all the way down the page.  In this brief discourse He covers everything  that might draw us into worry and anxiety.  In verses 25-33, Jesus spoke of the things that we often worry about the most: food, fashion, fitness, finances, and the future. . Then he gave us some lessons from nature to remind us that worry is needless.

First He spoke of the fowl in the air.  He said they don’t worry about what they will eat. Why? The Heavenly Father feeds them and provides for them. Then he says, “Are the birds better than you?” The answer is of course not. Jesus was saying that if God would take care of birds, He will certainly take care of you. Therefore it is needless to worry. I love the little poem:

Said the robin to the sparrow “I should really like to know
Why those anxious human beings Rush around and worry so.”
Said the sparrow to the robin “Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father Such as cares for you and me.”

He not only spoke of the fowl in the air, but also the flowers in the field. He said that they were not filled with anxiety or worry about their growth. But even Solomon was not arrayed as they are.

Martin Luther used to say, “Don’t sit down and mope and sorrow, and give way to despair, but get up and sing and say the Lord’s prayer.” Instead of worrying about things, trust your Heavenly Father. As Corrie ten Boom said, “Don’t wrestle, just nestle.” 

In Matthew 6:27 Jesus clearly states the futility of worry when He says, “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?”  Jesus was saying that worrying never calmed a troubled heart, never dried a tear, never lifted a burden, or made a bad thing a good thing.  Worry needless and faithless, but it is also useless.  Someone has said that worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair, it will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.”  But most of all, it replaces faith and what faith can do.  So what is the solution?  Well, Jesus doesn’t leave us wondering.  It is our
Scripture to Claim:
"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 NASB