Don't Worry
I recently read that last year Americans spent over 5 billion dollars on anti-anxiety and similar medications. That says something significant about our world. We live in the age of the 24 hour news cycle with almost instant global communication. Social media makes sure we're aware of every conflict, disaster or tragedy in real time. Years ago, people primarily worried about what happened in their own communities. Now, even before breakfast, you can worry about your own life, your children's future, national politics, and wars on the other side of the globe.
Years ago, I went through a season where I was convinced something was seriously wrong with me physically. I finally went to the doctor because I was sure they were going to find something major. After multiple tests - the diagnosis? - Stress. That - and a previous boss for whom I am very grateful I no longer work.
Some of you know exactly what that feels like because you've lived through seasons where stress didn't just affect your thoughts—it affected your body. You couldn't sleep well, your blood pressure climbed, your patience became shorter, and your mind kept running through every possible worst-case scenario. That's what worry tends to do. It rarely stays confined to our thoughts. Eventually it affects our health, our relationships, and frequently - our faith.
Biblically speaking, the problem of 'worry' stems from...
I. The wrong focus
I want to start us out by looking at a passage of scripture from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount…
Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)
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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes? (26) 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? (27) Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
(28) And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. (29) Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (30) 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, O you of little faith? (31) So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
(32) For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (33) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Well, we've got food and clothes - so we're good right? And since this doesn't apply to us, let's go ahead and skip to our closing prayer... Don't get too excited - there's actually a bit for us to unpack here because I do know that we can still worry. And I mean we. This is one of those messages I don't preach as an 'expert' in practice, but leaning heavily on the authority of scripture.
At first glance, this passage can seem somewhat disconnected from our lives because Jesus specifically talks about food and clothing. Jesus' original audience lived in a world that was very different from ours. Many of them worried about literal food and clothing because survival required constant work. Life was far more uncertain on a day-to-day basis.
When Jesus was talking to them about food and clothing, their relationship to those things was different than ours today. Probably many of them grew their own food and maybe even made their own clothes. They did have markets in which to buy some things, but they certainly didn't have a Wal-Mart. They had to work a lot harder than we do for the very basics. When Jesus told them not to worry about food and clothing, that would have sounded incredibly challenging because those needs consumed much of their daily attention.
For many people in our culture, food and clothing aren't daily concerns in the same way they were for Jesus' original audience. So it might be tempting to think, "It doesn't really apply to me." But before we dismiss it too quickly, we need to pay attention to the very first word Jesus used in verse 25, "Therefore…"
That word matters because it connects this passage to everything Jesus had just been teaching. Right before this, Jesus was talking about storing treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy. He talked about where your treasure is being connected to where your heart is. He talked about the impossibility of serving both God and money.
Then He says: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…" That tells us this passage is not merely about anxiety in general. Jesus is specifically addressing the connection between worry, possessions, security, and trust. And the Bible clearly teaches that...
A. Treasures fade
We may not spend our days worrying about food and clothing, but many people spend enormous amounts of time worrying about retirement accounts, mortgage payments, medical bills, job security, investments, college tuition, home repairs, cell phone bills, internet bills, streaming subscriptions, and maintaining a particular lifestyle. Compared to the average person listening to Jesus on that hillside, most of us would be considered incredibly wealthy. And yet - we still worry.
Many times having more possessions simply gives us more things to maintain and look after. That's why Jesus' warning about worry and earthly treasure still applies to us. It's not wrong to work hard, to provide for your family, to save responsibly, or prepare wisely for the future. However, we see this in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV)...
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (18) Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. (19) In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
The issue is not whether you own things. The issue is whether those things have become the source of your identity, security, or trust. For the people back then, and for us now - the real issue about any worry is still the same. We have to remember...
B. We are not in control
Jesus asked a powerful question in verse 27, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" The obvious answer is no one. - Being 'prayerfully concerned' about a problem and worrying are two different things. Worry is all about me trying to fix, solve, or control the situation. Being 'prayerfully concerned' means acknowledging that I am a temporary steward - not an owner - and that I am not ultimately in control.
Worry often feels productive because it keeps our minds busy, but being mentally exhausted is not the same thing as being spiritually productive. Worry has a way of creating imaginary futures and then convincing us they are inevitable. We begin asking questions like: "What if I lose my job?" "What if my children make terrible decisions?" "What if my health declines?" "What if I don't have enough saved?"
"Worry writes fictional stories and then tries to convince us they're documentaries." (There's your social media post...)
Now some of those concerns may be legitimate issues that require wise planning and prayerful action, but worry itself solves very little. There's a difference between being responsibly concerned and being consumed by fear. Responsible concern leads us to pray, seek wise counsel, make wise decisions, and trust God with the outcome.
Worry often becomes an attempt to control situations that ultimately belong to God. And that burden is simply too heavy for us to carry. So in order to help us to stop worrying and give everything to God, we need to have...
II. The right focus
To stop worrying, are we supposed to stop living in modern society and just get rid of everything? Compared to that crowd from Galilee who heard those words – have I blown it by having more things and a retirement account? There's something important to remember here, that cultural component.
The people back then did live in a different culture than us. Their families generally weren't spread out geographically like we are now. They cared for their elderly differently than we do today. Healthcare and housing and transportation weren't as advanced and expensive as they are today. They didn't have technology and opportunities for education quite like we do today, and all of the financial responsibilities that come along with those things.
There are some very real differences between their culture and ours, so we can't make blanket assertions or judgments when comparing their lifestyle to ours. However, we can't just dismiss Jesus' words. He did say those things to the people back then, but I'm pretty sure He meant them for us, too. Yes, there is a cultural component that we have to keep in mind, but that's not an excuse to completely neglect Jesus' commands.
What I mean is – it's not wrong to provide for your family or even provide for your future on this earth. But, those things can't be what is most important or allowed to take your attention off of God. Amongst all of our struggles and troubles, we can't forget...
A. The Father knows
Jesus points His listeners' attention to the birds and the flowers. It seems like such a simple illustration, but it's incredibly insightful. Birds don't build retirement portfolios. Flowers don't create emergency savings plans. And yet God faithfully provides for them.
But Jesus is not encouraging us to be irresponsible or lazy here. Birds still gather food and build nests. They do what they were created to do - but - they're not consumed with anxiety over the 'what ifs' of tomorrow. Let's look again at that section in Matthew 6:32-34 (NIV)...
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (33) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Jesus said something deeply personal here, "Your heavenly Father knows that you need them." That should be one of the most comforting statements in this entire passage. Your heavenly Father knows what you need before you ever bring it to Him in prayer.
He knows your bills. He knows your medical concerns and your entire medical history. He knows your family struggles. He knows your fears about the future. And if He cares enough to feed birds and clothe flowers that will soon fade away, He certainly has not forgotten His children. Remember this from Hebrews 13:5-6 (NIV)...
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (6) So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
Money can disappear. Health can fail. Jobs can be lost. People can disappoint you. God remains faithful!
But even though God already knows, the Bible still tells us to bring our concerns to Him in prayer. But that's not to inform Him of these prayer requests, but to remind us Who is in control and from where our hope comes!
God knows what our troubles are, so let's work at keeping our focus off of our troubles and on...
B. His kingdom first
Jesus gives the real solution to worry in verse 33 when He says: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…" Jesus doesn't simply tell people to 'stop worrying'. Jesus redirects our focus toward something greater. Instead of chasing security through possessions, He calls us to pursue God's kingdom! Instead of making our personal comfort our highest priority, He calls us to make His mission our priority.
When God's kingdom comes first, money becomes a tool instead of an idol. When God's kingdom comes first, possessions become temporary blessings instead of ultimate security. That's also why generosity matters so much in the Christian life. 'Giving' helps loosen the grip money and things can have on our hearts and reminds us that God is our provider.
This doesn't mean every faithful Christian will become wealthy, but it does mean God blesses those who trust Him. But I would rather be blessed than simply rich. Riches may provide temporary comfort, but God's blessing provides peace, purpose, contentment, joy, and ultimately eternal life!
So What?
Jesus closes this teaching by saying: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
I appreciate the honesty of that verse because Jesus never says - or never pretends - that 'this life' will be easy. He acknowledges that tomorrow may very well bring challenges. But tomorrow's troubles shouldn't cost us today's peace. And they certainly shouldn't distract us from today's worship of our Creator!
When I allow worry to consume me, I often find that my prayers become much smaller because I become focused almost entirely on my problems and somehow preserving my own comfort and security. But we were not called to comfort! We are called to trust Jesus, to live holy lives, and to advance His kingdom!
Money will eventually disappoint you. Possessions will eventually disappear. Jesus never will!
So the real question is whether you are trusting your possessions, your plans, and your ability to control life - or whether you are truly trusting your heavenly Father. Because when God becomes enough, it's then that worry begins to lose its power.