Do Not Worry

One of the biggest challenges for me during this time is just to step back, and lift up my hands and say, “God, I don’t know what you are doing, but I trust you”.

Jesus speaks to this in Matthew 6.

in verses 19-24, Jesus talks about our attitude toward money and material things as relates to our hearts.

He’s talking about those things that consume our attention and have our focus.

Either we will have our focus on God, or we will have our focus on material things, and that is where our heart will be. It’s what we will live for.

And then He says, “In light of what I have just told you”,

Matthew 6:25–34 (ESV)

Do Not Be Anxious

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.

These are pretty direct words by Jesus.

He knows that it is our tendency toward stress and worry.

And in this time that we are living in, there is plenty to worry about if you allow yourself.

Even if you are convinced that this illness is not as bad as some would have you believe, there is still the economy to worry about.

Millions of jobs are being lost.

I have friends who are airline pilots whose jobs are in serious jeopardy.

We see small businesses forced to close their doors, with owners who really couldn’t afford to close their doors.

Many of you are being affected.

Basically our who country, whether or not the virus has touched us personally, is being touched financially.

It is hitting us right at the heart of what Jesus is talking about in this passage: Our ability to provide for our own needs

People are worried about whether or not

They will be able to clothe themselves

Feed themselves,

Be able to count on tomorrow.

Don’t worry

Your Heavenly Father knows that you need these things

We are not dealing with a God who is surprised by what is going on

He knows exactly what we need

If He knows what the birds need and the flowers need, wouldn’t He know what you need as well?

Does that mean that we will never face tough times, or times when we go with less? No, that’s not what that means

Because, yes, He knows what the birds need and the flowers need, but even the birds and the flowers face times of drought or famine

Even their lives come to an end

And that is the way with us. Yes, our Heavenly Father knows what we need, but our lives, just like before coronavirus, have an end to them

Jesus says, it does no good to worry about it.

Worry doesn’t add a single day to your life and it doesn’t allow you to do anything about your physical body either

We know that we don’t have any guarantee for tomorrow, But maybe this virus has made us think about it more and it brings worry (maybe we call it “concern”)

Life is more than food (vs. 25)

There is more to the body than what you cover it with

There is more to life than the food you eat.

There is more to life than pursuing the physical things that fill our stomach and make us physically comfortable and secure

What is life about instead?

The Kingdom of God! (vs. 33)

Jesus, as He so often did in the Gospel of Matthew, turns the attention of the people to the Kingdom of God

He tells the people, “Above all things, seek the reign of God”

I have been in a number of conversations recently where people are very worried about what is going on, either in their own lives or about what they are being told or not told about this coronavirus crisis

And in all these cases, I have tried to assure them, that, yes, these are concerning things,

But then I have tried to bring their focus back to the question of, “What is God doing? How do you see Him working in your life? What do you see Him doing in the world around you?”

because when we see God at work, that is the Kingdom of God

When we see Him being glorified, that is the Kingdom of God.

It’s the reign of God, where He has supreme control and where His people live for their King.

What is the focus of your prayers and thoughts?

Are they prayers and thoughts of self-focus?

Or are they prayers and thoughts of God-focus

Do we face the day with thougths of “I don’t know how I’m going to make it through this”

or do we face the day with thoughts of “How do I make God more well known today”

God, help me to understand what things are like in your Kingdom.

And if you have trouble knowing that, go back and study the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7

This is the Kingdom of God actively at work in our world

It is the people of God living lives of justice, humility, mercy,

It’s the people of God seeking how to bring others along with them and point them to our King