Rewiring the Panic Button
Read Matthew 6:1-34
Advertisement
24. “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25. That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
26. Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?
27. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28. And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,
29. yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.” Matthew 6:24-29
“We’re not worried,” we say nervously, “just quite concerned.”
Life is full of concerns—fleeting, chronic, financial, relational, mild, or severe. These worries can drive us crazy just thinking about them. They can also cause us to question our faith in God. Does God care about our concerns? Is he doing anything to help us out?
In this passage, Jesus points out the lessons in trust that we can learn from nature, assuring us of the futility of worry and of the certainty of God’s care. As you read, strengthen your dependence on God’s gracious care, and watch your worries melt away.
Jesus knew that his disciples naturally worried about having enough of life’s necessities, so he reassured them that God would provide for their needs. He pointed out that God provides for the animal kingdom, so he also would provide for them—they mattered much more than the animals (Matthew 6:25-34).
Worrying about our needs accomplishes nothing and ignores the fact that God works to meet those needs. Jesus didn’t tell his disciples to be lazy or not to work, just to trust God and not to worry.
Do what you can about the concerns you have, but also realize that God, who loves and cares for you, has made provision for them as well. He will not let your needs overwhelm you. Whenever worries plague you, follow these three steps: (1) tell God about your concerns, asking him to provide for your needs; (2) do what you humanly can to work on your concerns; and (3) trust in God’s goodness—remember that he cares for you more than even you care for yourself, and he will provide all you need at the right time.
