22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
What a difficult thing this is in our lives. Worry almost seems like something we should be doing. Worry is really a function of attempting to control the outcome of our future. But it never works. What Jesus will challenge us with in this passage is the concept of abandoning worry and falling into trust. Worry tricks us into thinking we are being responsible with our situation, or children, our future. Instead is breaks us down to the core.
First, let’s look at what worry does. It affects our health, both physical and mental. It damages our immune system. Our very blood is affected. It affects our heart, our organs, the very inner workings of us. It also affects the brain. In short, worry breaks us down, so that when we have to stand up and be strong, we are unable to do so.
Winston Churchill said it very well: “When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.” That is what worry does to us. Gets our minds moving in a direction it shouldn’t. It takes the focus away. That’s exactly what Satan wants for us. He wants to take our focus off of God, put it in this world, and dwell on it. If we are dwelling on trouble that may never happen, then we’ve taken our eyes off of God.
It is enlightening to see where Jesus is going with this. He knows that abandoning worry is difficult for us. It is something we have trained ourselves in for most of our lives. We most likely learned it from parents or others who themselves couldn’t master focusing on perceived trouble. Arthur Somers Roche put it this way: “Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”
Jesus is giving us a command based in love. Why? Because it is for our benefit not to worry. He says that life is more than about food and clothing. In other words, life is about much more than basic survival. When we are only focused on our physical needs, we forget about our spiritual ones. You are an eternal being. We must have an eternal perspective.
24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[a]? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!
Jesus says “Consider the ravens…” His message is simple: God takes care of the smallest of creatures. If we remind ourselves of this, we should also remind ourselves that God will provide for us as well.
God is a providential God, not a coincidental God. The difference is important to note. A coincidental God waits for you to make a move then, based on your choices, must react. In other words, God isn’t in charge, you are. God reacts to your choices.
A providential God means God is in charge of everything. He knows the past, present and future, and even though you have the free will to make choices, he already knows what choices you will make. God has put you in the town you are in, surrounded by the people he needs you to affect and to affect you, he’s given you a set of skills and gifts to do his work. In other words, the provision He’s given to you isn’t just about your financial status. It’s a much grander picture. When we begin to see the scope God is operating in, we begin to see the greater picture of God’s love and how he takes care of us.
He also assesses a value on us. Truth is, we don’t value ourselves too highly. We compensate with clothes, with flashy things, etc., which underlays one of the self-esteem issues we have in regards to our relationship with God. We don’t understand the value, the love, the care that he has for us. Verse 25 spells it our plainly: by worrying, we aren’t affecting anything. Does worry really help us forward? Does it help the situation? If we sit up at night worrying about our 401K, does that accrue money for us? Worry is useless, self-defeating, and brings us to a place of fear. We weren’t made for fear. God has bigger plans for us (2 Timothy 1:7). With worry, we can’t extend our life. We actually do physical and mental harm to our life.
Jesus goes beyond the birds and focuses on flowers and grass. Jesus says that God even takes care of these things. You’d think he could go deeper, talk about ants or dirt or even the particles in the air. The point becomes one of greater magnitude. God is in everything, and he cares for everything, so why wouldn’t he show the same love and care for you?
He goes on to say “you of little faith.” This hits right back to our hearts. Many of us say we follow Jesus, many of us say we’d die for Him. But when it comes right down to it, there is something wrong with our hearts. The deeper problem is one of complete trust. We may say we’ve submitted to God, but perhaps trusting in Him fully is an area we haven’t completely submitted. It is important to understand that if we say we have faith, we are submitting and trusting Jesus with our life. But if we worry, it becomes hypocritical.
By the way, this is one of the most difficult things to do consistently. If you struggle with trust and worry, you aren’t alone. It takes many years to get stronger, to trust more fully, and I’m not sure any of us ever truly get there. But it is important to try. It is important to strive forward, to practice trust. It isn’t about running the race perfectly, but running it the best we can.
29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Powerfully, Jesus tells us that our attention needs to be on Him and His kingdom. If we are focused on our relationship with God, then trust will be more attainable and worry will fade. Our problem is generally between our flesh vs. spirit battle. The spirit we have in us yearns to develop us. The flesh, our physical nature, yearns after what we want in this world. It’s a struggle we all have, and it happens throughout our lifetime. Jesus tells us that the struggle can be overcome when our attention is turned fully to Him.
If you put your relationship with God first, above your physical well-being, hobbies, career - fill in the blank - Jesus says that “all of these things will be added to you.” What this means is that all of the things we would normally worry about will be provided. They will not be an object of worry. This is in addition to the benefits after our life has ended.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
This concludes Jesus’ main point: God wants to give us the kingdom! He wants the relationship with us and wants us to be in a communion trust with Him. As if with open arms he welcomes us, and what we need to do is trust Him with our life.
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” Simply put, if your heart is about your own gratification, then your heart is in the world. If you heart is in the Kingdom, then it is with Jesus.