Tomorrow is going to happen one way or another anyway, and we can’t do a thing about it. So focus on today. Seek the kingdom today. Have faith; don’t be of little faith. Have faith that God who provides for sparrows and clothes wild flowers with splendor will be far more lavish with you as his child. Don’t think and act like Gentiles who have no God who loves and provides for them. Act like the child of your heavenly Father who knows your every single need and cares about you.

Jesus had a lot to say about worry.

He came into an unstable and unpredictable world. He lived in an agricultural society where one summer’s drought could wipe out crops for the winter. He hung out with fishermen, who might fish all night long and catch nothing to sell or bring home to family. And Jesus knew the human heart and the temptations presented by the cares of this life. So he gave his disciples some excellent instruction on worry in Matthew 6.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (25)

First Jesus says God gave us our human life and our bodies without us even asking. Human life and our physical bodies are incredibly valuable. Our life is much more valuable than the food we put on the table; our body far more valuable than the shirt we put on. If God gave us life, which is so very valuable, will he not give us food, which is of far lesser value? If God gave us these bodies which are fearfully and wonderfully made, will he not give us clothes to cover them? And even further, if God has given us eternal life, will he not provide for our temporal life?

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (26)

Jesus reminds us that God faithfully provides for dumb animals. Birds don’t sow or reap or store their food in barns – and they don’t fret about whether they’ll have enough for tomorrow or to get through the winter. Yet God feeds them. And Jesus tells us that humans, the crown of God’s creation, the only creatures made in God’s image, are of much more value than birds. If God provides for birds, then surely he’ll provide for those he made in his own image. Furthermore, will not God especially provide for those he bought with the blood of his Son?

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (27)

Worry does absolutely no good. It won’t bring in money, food or clothing. Worry only has negative results: it chokes the word of God and distracts us from God. It is unbelief, the opposite of faith. And it leads to more fear and anxiety. And the different scenarios we play out in our minds can’t prevent a single thing from happening. And besides that, most of the things we spend so much time fretting about won’t happen anyway.

Jesus wants you to overcome the temptation to worry.

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (28-30)

Wild flowers, don’t “toil or spin” – they do nothing to provide for themselves. Yet God is so lavish and overflowing that he clothes wild flowers with splendor and beauty that all Solomon’s royal seamstresses couldn’t imitate. Field flowers are “grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven” – grass doesn’t last and is of little value. Yet God clothes “grass” with incredible beauty. Will he not much more clothe you, whom he made in his own image, you who have an immortal soul? If God so lavish adorns wildflowers, will he not clothe his own children? What kind of mother would spend hours and hours working in her garden and then neglect to clothe her children? Why do we have such “little faith”?

Next Jesus says when we are anxious about our worldly provision, we think and act like Gentiles – unbelievers.

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (31-33)

Gentiles worry because they have no guarantees of food and provision. Gentiles have no God to provide for them. But we have a heavenly Father who knows what we need, and cares deeply about us.

Now Jesus tells us where to focus our thoughts and energy: on the kingdom of God and his righteousness. These are we should seek first. Here’s what should occupy our thoughts and energy: loving and serving Jesus, seeking to obey his kingly rule, seeking to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel, by which God has declared us righteous.

Finally Jesus says each day has enough “trouble” to keep us occupied.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (34)

Tomorrow is going to happen one way or another anyway, and we can’t do a thing about it. So focus on today. Seek the kingdom today. Have faith; don’t be of little faith. Have faith that God who provides for sparrows and clothes wild flowers with splendor will be far more lavish with you as his child. Don’t think and act like Gentiles who have no God who loves and provides for them. Act like the child of your heavenly Father who knows your every single need and cares about you.

Don’t be anxious; trust your Father.

Mark Altrogge has been the senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Indiana, PA for over 25 years, and is the author of many well known worship songs such as “I Stand In Awe”, and “In The Presence”. This article  first appeared on his blog and is used with permission.