"Where to Go with Your Worries": Matthew 6:25-34

If you have a Bible you can open with me to Matthew 6. I want to talk about where to go with our worry. Before I read from Matthew 6, I wanted to share with you a verse that applies to what we are seeing in the world right now. It’s Proverbs 12:25: “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” I see so much anxiety right now. With the announcement of the first case of COVID19 in our community this week, I’ve noticed a definite change in the tone of posts I’ve seen on social media. You can see it in the faces and hear it in the voices of people as you observe them from an appropriate social distance. We’re already anxious people anyway. Every generation reports levels of anxiety higher than the one before it. One writer called stress, “the official emotion of our age”. We live in the information age, and through the internet we have more knowledge at our fingertips in a matter of seconds than ever before. You’d think that would lead to less anxiety, but it’s the opposite. Case in point: WebMd. You can go to their website, enter your symptoms and suddenly you’re worried you could be dying from any number of rare conditions. Just like this verse says, anxieties weigh us down. Many of you know that my family and I enjoy hiking. Here’s a picture of my most recent hike in the Smokies, when you all graciously sent Allison and I on a getaway there last fall. We hiked to Andrews Bald, it’s the highest bald in the national park and had some awesome views. David Platt says we can think of Proverbs 12:25, we can picture anxieties like putting weight in a hiking pack. From early in life, we worry and are anxious about what other people think about us. As much as we’d like to think that goes away, the reality is it’s hidden pretty deep within us and affects what we do in many ways throughout our lives. What people think about us is a constant anxiety for us. Or as students, we start to wonder, “Am I going to get into this school?” So we put that in our backpack. Then we worry, “Am I going to get this job?” We take that and put it in our pack. Then we start to think, “Okay, am I going to get married?” We’re anxious about that. Then there comes anxiety about staying married and having a happy marriage. In marriage, we start getting anxious about whether or not we’re going to have children. Then when we have kids, and we discover parenting comes with a whole other level of anxieties. We worry about our finances and how we’re going to pay the bills. So add that to the pack. Then there’s anxiety about our future and what the next year holds, next three years, next 10 years. These anxieties can turn into a series of “what if” scenarios that we start playing through in our minds. Suddenly our pack of worries looks pretty full. So we’re already anxious, then along comes a pandemic—the world-wide spread of a new disease—and now there’s like a whole other bag of worries it takes up on its own. Money-wise, what is our financial situation going to look like? What is our economy going to look like? Let’s throw this in the pandemic pack. What about school? Am I going to be able to finish my education? What does that look like? What about work? How is this going to play out at my work? So we put that in the backpack. Or what about our health? Will I have enough medicine? Let’s put that in the backpack. Will I have enough food and essential resources? Then what seems to be the most pressing question, will I have enough toilet paper? Let’s put that in the backpack. So our backpack was already full, but now we’re going to load on some more. We’re going to stuff more in there and this is going to become the picture of our lives right now. (PUT ON BACKPACK) Proverbs 12:25: “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down”. Do you feel like this at times? I think many of us do. “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” This verse has been on my mind lately, because I know that so many of us are carrying extra anxieties and worries right now. But also hear this: God wants to give you a good word that makes you glad. Now, the news and social media are filled with plenty of words from people in the middle of this pandemic. But here in Matthew 6 is a good word that comes straight from the mouth of Jesus, straight from the mouth of God in the flesh. I want to read Matthew 6:25-34 over you. I want to encourage you in seven simple ways, and I hope you will soak these realities in as long as this pandemic lasts. So let’s hear a word from Jesus Himself. 25 “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? 26 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? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 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? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Anytime Jesus says something once, you can take it to the bank. So when he repeats something three times, we’d better pay attention. Three times in this passage Jesus says do not be anxious: Verse 25, “Do not be anxious...” Verse 31, “Do not be anxious...” Then in verse 34, “Therefore, do not be anxious...” Apparently, Jesus desires you and me to be totally free from anxiety in this world. Let’s take a moment to define what we mean by anxiety. A dictionary definition of anxiety is “a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease about either an immanent event or an uncertain outcome.” The American Psychological Association classifies a whole spectrum of anxiety disorders that are characterized by intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. These are medical conditions characterized by intense episodes of fear or even panic attacks accompanied by a whole host of symptoms that we don’t have time to list here. Someone may have clinical anxiety and hear Jesus’s words here and start thinking, “Is my medical condition a sin?” As best we can tell, Jesus is not referring here to a medical condition but a spiritual one. When Jesus says, “Do not be anxious”, I think he means that anxiety or worry is carrying concerns in this world in such a way that we lose perspective on life and/or we lack trust in God. Anxiety is being weighed down with concerns, much like Proverbs 12:25 talks about. Now,having concerns in this world is not a bad thing. It’s right to be concerned for other people and even for certain things for ourselves. The Bible even talks about a certain kind of anxiety or concern as a good thing. In Philippians 2 and 2 Corinthians 11, Paul talks about his anxiety for the churches he cares so much about. The problem comes when we carry our concerns in such a way that we lose perspective on life and/or we lack trust in God. This is exactly the kind of anxiety we are tempted to have right now, and it’s exactly the kind of worry Jesus desires to free us from today. What does Jesus say in a world filled with so much anxiety that weighs us down? Here’s what He says. 1. Our life is about so much more than our worries. Jesus says in verse 25: “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.” Think about these three things Jesus mentions: food, drink and clothes. Those are pretty basic needs, right? It’s not like Jesus is saying don’t worry if you’ll have a nice house or the latest iPhone. Like if you didn’t have food & clothes, that seems like a legitimate thing to be worried about. But Jesus is saying, “don’t be anxious about your basic needs”. So why not worry about them? Because your life is more than food. The body is more than clothing. Your life is about more than what you eat or what you drink or what you wear. When you realize that, you realize you can put anything the world offers into that sentence. Think about the many things you and I are tempted to worry about and put them in the blank. Your life is about more than what others think of you. Your life is about more than what job you have. Your life is about more than how much money you make. Your life is about more than whether your kid is the star of the team. We’ve been reminded in this pandemic, our lives are about more than what happens at work, or in government, or at school, or in the sports world. After all, many of these things have grinded to a halt, and we’re still here. So life must be about more than the things of this world. This leads to the question, “What is my life about?” Matthew 6:26 says, “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?” Your life is about trusting the God Who eternally values you. “Look at the birds,” Jesus says. The world is in chaos right now, but the birds aren’t worried. There’s bird who’s built a nest right outside my office at church, and I’ve seen her this week, going back and forth to the nest, tending to her eggs, just perched there same as every other spring. She hasn’t been—as far as I can tell— frantically watching the news and checking social media for the latest COVID-19 developments. Why not? Because the birds & flowers know that God will provide for them. And Jesus says you can know that too, because you are more valuable to God than birds. You are made in God’s image. All of his creation is good, but the one thing God delights in, the one thing he has called VERY GOOD is you and me. You are eternally valuable to God. Now, all of us have been created by God, yet we have all turned aside from God’s ways to our own ways. As a result, we’re separated from God and the effects of sin in our world weigh heavy on us, including things like pandemics. The good news of the Bible is that God loves us and has not left us alone in our sin. God has come to us in the person of Jesus who lived a life without sin. Then, even though He carried no sin-guilt Himself, He put the burden of my sin and your in on his back and carried it to the cross, where He chose to die to pay the price for our sin. Then three days later, He rose from the grave in victory over sin, so that anyone anywhere in the world who turns from their sin and puts their trust in Jesus will be forgiven and restored to relationship with God for all of eternity. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will never perish but have everlasting life.” Consider that in light of verse 28 where Jesus starts talking about flowers and how well they’re dressed. Then in verse 30, He says, “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?” I love buttercups in the springtime, but I’m always disappointed at how quickly their blooms wither. Jesus says, you are like a flower that’s cut today and dead tomorrow. You were made to last forever. Put this in perspective. Jesus is saying, “Look at the lilies and grass and how they’re clothed. Why worry about what you’ll drink, when the Living Water is for you? Why are you worried about what you’ll eat, when the Bread of Life has prepared an eternal feast for you? Why are you worried about your paycheck, when one day God plans to make all things yours? Why are you anxious about your health, when God has guaranteed you eternal life?” Your life is about so much more than all these things that are weighing you down. Your life is about trusting the God Who eternally values you! 2. Anxiety is unhelpful and unbelieving. Anxiety is pointless. Jesus says in verse 27: “Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Worrying doesn’t help us…in fact, most of our worries never come to pass. But anxiety does makes things worse. Doctors have discovered that worry & stress contribute to just about every sickness out there. Jesus say, “Why weigh yourself down with worry when it doesn’t do any good?” Anxiety also reveals our unbelief. At the end of verse 30, Jesus says, “O you of little faith! Do not be anxious, saying what ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things.” Basically Jesus says it makes sense that unbelievers worry. If the universe is just a product of chance events, and our lives have no more value than the birds and flowers, and there’s no God who is in control, then clearly maybe we should be worried about the future. But if we have a Heavenly Father who is powerful and wise and strong and good and gracious then is in control and who loves us and is working all things together for the good of His children, then we can have faith that, no matter how our circumstances may seem at the moment, that God is there and He will provide. 3. God knows and supplies all your needs. Verse 32 says, “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” God is not up in heaven looking down on you saying, “I wonder what he needs? I wonder what she needs?” God is in heaven saying, “I know exactly what you need—better than you know yourself.” Not only does God our heavenly Father know all you need, but He will supply all you need. Verse 33:“And All these things will be added to you” How’s that for a promise from the One Who possesses everything? We’re used to be able to go to the store or get online and fill our shopping cart with everything that we need. We’ve seen how quickly in the past two weeks that the supplies we’re getting whenever we want can be gone. But with God the supply line is always full. He won’t out of strength when you are weak. He never runs out of courage when you are afraid. He never runs out of comfort when you are grieving. And ultimately, He will not run out of life when you are dying. Every moment for all of eternity, your heavenly Father will supply all you need. And what he invites us to do today is to take our worries and anxieties and give them to him. In Matthew 11, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you labor and are heavyladen, and I will give you rest. “ As I stand here preaching, this pack is getting heavy. Our worries do the same. Jesus invites us to take off our pack and give it to him. [Take off pack]. The best way to hike is without a heavy pack. In fact, the best way to hike might be not to hike at all. We have another hiking pack that we use in our family. It’s made to carry not just stuff, but a person. My daughter, Hattie, often rides along letting me carry her on my back. That’s what God wants to do for us. He doesn’t just want to carry our burdens, He wants us to carry us, as we place the full weight of our faith and trust in Him. So if God doesn’t want us to carry our burdens what’s left for us to do? Jesus offers two suggestions. 1. Verse 33: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”. Rather than spending time and energy fretting over things we cannot control, God deserves that we make the focus of our lives on living for what honors Him and brings Him glory. What does it mean to “seek first His kingdom?” I think it means we seek to find our greatest joy in Jesus and in serving Him and making Him known. It means choosing to focus our lives on laying up treasures in heaven, and knowing that it’s how we make our lives count for eternity that measures. When we are loaded down carrying the burden of our anxieties, we are so focused on our own needs & fears that we are of little use to anyone else. When we place our burdens on Jesus, know suddenly our hands are free to serve and feet ready to move to where God calls us to make a difference for Him. 2. Make the most of today. It’s easy to allow our anxieties about tomorrow consume the reality in front of us today. Sometimes we spend today worrying about what tomorrow will bring, and when tomorrow comes we spend it worrying about the next day, and so on. But Jesus says in verse 34, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” What’s Jesus saying here? He’s saying, God has given you enough strength today for today, and He will give you the strength you need tomorrow… tomorrow. I like how David Platt says it, “God guarantees you mercy today for trouble today and mercy tomorrow for trouble tomorrow.” As the Israelites wandered through the wilderness after fleeing Egypt, they went outside each morning to find enough bread and meat on the ground for that day and that day only. Then, when they woke up the next day, God has provided again. They learned to live with day by day trust in God. We must do the same. When hiking a hard trail, I’ll often look ahead to the next curve in the trail, and say, “I’ve just got to get there.” And once I turn that curve, I’ll find the next landmark up the trail, and say “I’ve just got to get there.” And before I know it, I’ve reached my destination. Sometimes as our anxieties mount, it may be too much to focus on getting through the day. Maybe we just need to let God carry us through the next hour, or the next 15 minutes. Then, when that hour is up, we ask him to help us again. And He will, because we have value to Him and he loves to supply our all our needs. As we sang earlier, we serve a God who promises us “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.” Today, God wants us to know that our life is about much more than the cares of the world. He invites us to give Him our worries, even our very lives. We can place the burden of our sins and our anxieties upon Him, and find rest. Rest in knowing that we have a Savior who has provided us a home in heaven, and rest in knowing that he cares for our earthly needs today. And as we find our burdens lifted by faith in Him, we are set free to seek His kingdom first, and to make today count for Him. And then we’ll wake up tomorrow to a fresh supply of God’s new morning mercies, and find the strength we need to face its troubles too.