25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry 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, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. – Matthew 6:25-34
These words of Jesus need no commentary or explanation. We know we need not worry, yet we do worry. It belongs to our fallen nature to worry, and Satan works hard to make us worry.
Satan does two things to push us into worry. First, he wants us to focus on the dangers around us, while Jesus directs us to consider all that is good and right in the world. Second, Satan tempts us to doubt God’s providence. Jesus reminds us that God provides even for the flowers of the field and the birds of the air.
What can we do to overcome worry? Ask God to help you. Fill your heart and mind with God’s gracious reminders, like the words of Jesus quoted above. In Luther’s morning prayer we pray “For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.” We then focus our eyes on the cross of Christ and go to our work every morning, trusting that our life and all that we have is safely in Gods’ hands.
- “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10)
- “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11)
- “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” (Psalm 50:15)
- “Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstance so for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)
Keep verses like these in your wallet or purse- better yet in your heart!- and worry will fade away.
-Pastor Anderson