Are you worried about tomorrow? The Lord knows about the weight we sometimes carry in our hearts, and tells us how to handle them. Jesus cares, and He doesn’t want you to be burdened with worries you can do little about. He walked this earth Himself, experienced life as we do, and understands what we go through.
It is impossible to avoid all the troubles that come our way, but it does matter how we look at them. How you see your problem is part of how to deal with it. Look at the verses below:
The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:22,23
When you face a challenge, you will either see darkness or light — depending on how you look at it. If you only see you own ability — or lack thereof — you may be heading into a dark time. However, when you realize that you are a child of God, you also know that you are not alone in the crisis. God is with you, as he sons of Korah articulated so beautifully in their song below:
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah ! Psalm 46:1-3
We love to measure our troubles in terms of money, as we calculate how much it will cost to take away the worries we face. Jesus calls it working for mammon, because we look at money for solutions to our problems when we do so. It is a default approach we have as human beings because the carnal mind is wired to think that way, although it puts our enemy in control of our lives. The Lord then goes on to explain some things that we should never forget. The very first thing Jesus says, is to stop worrying about our lives, and how we will make it:
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? Matthew 6:25
God’s value system is different from ours; He values life higher than our daily necessities. Does it means we should be more grateful for life than what we need to sustain ourselves? There is much to consider here:
- life is eternal; everything else is temporary
- life presents opportunity
- life represents possibilities
- life offers hope
- life is a gift from God, and therefore makes Him part of it
We value our lives far too often by what we have, but it is not how God sees it; He takes good care of even the lowest forms of life:
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? Matthew 6:26
How you see yourself matters. You are not of less value when you face lack in your life because you are of greater value than the things you need. See yourself as God sees you. He bought you at a price that cannot be measured in monetary terms — it cost Him the life of His only begotten Son to have you. The right way to value something is by the price you are willing to pay for it!
Let’s be honest: worrying about your problems is not going to change anything. No matter how many sleepless nights you add to it, the problem will still be there.
Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? Matthew 6:27
The answer to this question is nothing; your worrying will do absolutely nothing for you.
So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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? Matthew 6:28-30
Here is how God looks at life: He clothes the lilies with such beauty, even though they only last a few days — why would He not take good care of you too? God takes care of the lilies because He made them, but bear in mind He also made you. And the lilies don’t receive anything by working for it. Now, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work, because we should; we have been given abilities to serve Him and those around us, and it gives meaning to our lives — but don’t make it service to mammon. Work because you love to develop the talents that God blessed you with. And note the last line of the verse above: will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Some people drop off when you bring faith into the conversation, yet it is what Jesus did. Thank God, He didn’t say we should be giants of faith to receive anything from Him — little faith already qualifies us for His blessing. Don’t miss something very important here: the different levels of value Jesus mentions in the verses above:
3 Solomon in all his glory
2 the lilies
1 you of little faith
You can read about Solomon’s glory in 1 Kings 10:3-5. God looks at you, who look up to Him as Father, as more than Solomon and the lilies. Renew your mind to this wonderful truth: you are more valuable to God than you think!
With this knowledge in mind, let’s continue to listen to Jesus:
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ Matthew 6:31
Therefore — for that reason — don’t worry!
For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Matthew 6:32
The Gentiles — unbelievers, who are not God’s children — worry about these things because they have no hope beyond their own strength and abilities. They have no one to look up to, except themselves. Here’s the line that seals the deal: your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Any father who knows his child needs the necessities of life, will give it to him because it is his honour and joy to do so. It is natural for a Father to love, provide and protect.
If you then, being 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
Your Father knows! That takes the edge off the problem because we know our Father will take care of it. Leave it with Him, and don’t take it back. Have a little faith in Him and His love for you!
God made a contract with us in Christ, a covenant, and in this covenant we take care of each other, as covenant partners do:
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33
We do what God cannot do: advance His kingdom on earth by sharing the gospel, telling others what He means to us, living like children of the Most High before unbelievers. God’s part in this contract is to do what we cannot do: He takes care of us, and provides what we need. It is not a matter of earning His favour; it is a covenant relationship where we take care of one another’s needs.
God is your Father if you submitted your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He adopted you as a child because you opened your heart to His beloved Son, and it means everything to Him. You are not on your own.
…having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:5,6
The apostle Peter, in his pastoral letter, confirms this comforting truth:
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6,8
Darkness is falling on the earth; the world is changing so fast; even our governments have become hostile toward us. Life itself is becoming increasingly unaffordable, with the world’s focus on a so-called green future, instead of humanity. Democracy is failing around the globe as unelected oligarchs, with accountability to o one, assume authority over us. The future planned for us is bleak — except for those who look up to their Heavenly Father who promised to be with us always.
Jesus commanded us not to worry. Keep your eyes on Him!
