Have you ever heard the phrase, “Don’t be a worry wart,” or “Don’t be a worrier, be a warrior.” There are so many books, articles, posts, and practical tips to aid us in this stress-filled world. However, when we have Christ, we know that He Himself addresses the issue of worry. Other materials, counseling, medicine, exercise, and other methods do play a part in helping in this struggle, however today we are going to look at the powerful truths we see in Scripture that help us have freedom when worry creeps in.
Let’s take a look at Jesus’ commend not to worry in Matthew 6.
Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”
We see Jesus mention legitimate worries. This is not you feeling worried if your grocery store will carry your favorite brand of yogurt that day; this is fear about not eating at all. This is not worry that your filtered water is coming out of the refrigerator too slowly, this is worried about getting water for the day to survive. This is not just worry about what to wear for that interview, this is worry about having clothing for warmth.
Although Christ absolutely cares about the less urgent worries, He gives these examples of dire needs for a reason. Think about those living in a warzone, or those struggling with basic needs to be met every day. This is the level of worry Jesus is addressing. It is serious. It is great. And yet, we still see him say, “Do not worry.”
I believe the point is that Jesus is saying we will have reasons in this life to worry, but we can rely on His help to avoid the wasted time and energy that anxiety brings. Jesus addresses our greatest needs of survival by telling us not to worry.
Life is by no means worry free. As someone who has struggled with anxiety, I can attest to the difficulty it brings. However, as a believer who has given her life to Jesus, I know the strength and the grace He provides in my weakest moments. He is the Rock. He is the Good Shepherd. He is our Fortress. He is our Prince of Peace. Does this mean that we do not face the sinful nature, the sin of others, or the attacks of the enemy? No, we face a very real battle. However, we are invited to think about things above (Philippians 4:8).
Matthew 6:26-27 says, “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. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
Jesus first compares the worry of food and drink with the birds. Think about the life of a bird. I did some research on the type of birds found in Northern Israel (Where the Sermon on the Mount was likely taught). In this area, there would have been a variety of birds because of the altitude of the plateau, the lush gardens, and the Sea of Galilee. Imagine as Jesus taught if He spoke the words, “Look at the birds of the air” and took a pause as the noises of tweets and caws echoed.
My son is 11 months old this week. He loves seeing the birds. He has come up with his own sounds for the birds when he hears them in our sunroom. He gets so excited as he tries to mimic their sounds with his lips puckered. As I look at the birds with him, I do not sit there and worry “Will they get fed today?” I know that God will provide for them in nature (or by the Lord’s provision through wonderful bird enthusiasts like my mother and mother-in-law, who have bird feeders).
Birds are scavengers and fully dependent on the Lord. When we hear them, what is the sound associated? Singing. Singing implies joy, happiness, and life. I believe Jesus used the example of birds too because in the midst of these birds having genuine needs to eat and drink each day, they also have genuine singing. We as believers will have trouble, but we can have joy that only Christ can give us in the times of need.
Jesus clarifies as He did from the beginning that we as people are more valuable than the birds. People have always been more valuable than animals. They were called good, (Genesis 1:20-23) but we were called very good (Genesis 1:24-31).
Another beautiful connection is that this message would have been given after Jesus’ baptism.
Matthew 3:16 says, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.”
The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. The phrase, “look at the birds” may have meant more to the disciples or those who witnessed the baptism of Christ because they thought about not only the birds around them, but the Holy Spirit descending as a dove on their Messiah. When we look at the birds, may they also remind us that God doesn’t just meet our physical needs, but He meets our spiritual needs as well. He cares for our very souls.
Matthew 6:28-30 says, “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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?”
Next, we read to not worry about clothing. Jesus tells us to look at the flowers. Imagine the beautiful setting on the plateau near the Sea of Galilee. It was probably full of wildflowers. Jesus points out how beautiful and short lived these flowers are, however He cares and clothes his children even more than them. These people would likely not have had access to different clothing styles. Many would have a need for clothing in their homes. Again, Jesus addresses a legitimate reason to worry, but combats it with the truth of His sovereign care.
To the Jews in the audience, He uses the example of Solomon dressed in splendor, yet still not being as wonderful as the wildflowers created by God. Then, we read of Jesus calling out the crowd, “You of little faith.” Ouch. It hurts to know that our faith gets put on the back-burner when worry is our focus.
Even if we truly long to be faith-filled, our fears can still be very great. Jesus visually shows them the birds and the flowers as examples to remind them because many times we cannot see what God is up to in our worries, but these are two visuals that give us sight to our steps of faith. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Jesus is showing us things that we can see, but calling us out to trust Him in the areas that we cannot see.
Matthew 6:31-34 says, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Jesus wraps up this portion of the Sermon on the Mount reiterating not to worry about food, drink, or clothing. He calls out those who do not know Him. They worry about such things. He even uses the term, run after these things. Worry is like running in a circle and going nowhere. It is chasing after something that we will never achieve. Releasing and surrendering is true freedom. We can only find this in accepting Jesus, nothing else will satisfy.
Jesus calls us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. He is our heavenly Father. He addresses the crowd with such love and care. A good father knows what his child needs (Matthew 7:11). God cares for us much more than any earthly father. So how does seeking God’s kingdom lighten the burden of our earthly worries? Worry most of the time is self-focused, when we redirect our eyes towards our Savior Jesus, we begin to be God-focused instead. We start to look out for the needs of others, to pray more, to press into community, and to live out our callings.
When our eyes are on the Father, we are reminded of how trustworthy and good He truly is. We remember His character. We are still and know that He is God. We find peace in that. We remember that He is with us always, He never leaves us. We cling to the truth that He is working all things together for the good of those who love Him. As we reflect on Jesus’ command not to worry in Matthew 6, may we each be encouraged that whatever worries we have, He cares for them and we can lay them in His hands.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/AntonioGuillem