Matthew 6:25-34 Don't Worry

"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?  And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,  yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!  Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'  For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.   "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. [Matthew 6:25‭-‬34 NASB]

It can be said that worry is the opposite of faith.

In the full context of scripture, it is clear that Jesus is not saying that we should never plan ahead. Nor is He saying that we should be idle, and not work. Rather, He is saying that we should not worry.

Food, drink and clothing are the most basic needs, followed closely by shelter. Jesus is telling us that God the Father will provide the means for us to get them. He does not mean that you should stand outside with your mouth open and expect to be fed, or that clothing will fall from the sky. You might get rained on, so maybe you'll have something to drink. That's not how it works. Even the birds that the Father feeds have to work for their food. They fly around from place to place pecking around on the ground, until they find nuts, seeds, worms, or whatever it is they are looking for.

Paul said, "For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either." [2 Thessalonians 3:10 NASB]

Jesus applauded good industry when he told the parable of the man who went on a journey and left his slaves to manage his money. On his return, he finds that they had variously invested and gained back more money. He said to the slave who invested well, "Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’" [Matthew 25:20-21 NASB]

It's not work and planning that Jesus opposes, but lack of faith. He told the parable of the seeds. Some fell to the side, others among rocks, others among thorns, and other in good soil. In explaining this parable to his disciples Jesus said, "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." [Matthew 13:22 NASB]

Today's passage concludes what Jesus was teach in the previous passage. If you store up riches for yourself, you are placing your trust in riches, and not in God. This applies equally to the rich and the poor. The poor can strive for what he doesn't have, while the rich strives for more of what he already has. Both are required to give up their striving and seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. In this case the poor man has the advantage in that he has less to let go of.

I have found myself in dire financial straights before, with crushing medical bills. When I was young, I worried about how we would get by. Over the years I have seen God's provision and have learned to trust in Him. No matter how bad things got, we always got by. Sometimes our meals were very simple (which is to say, cheap), and my clothes were from the bargain rack, and my debts got paid off. But I never went hungry. As I write this, I am waiting for a kidney transplant. I know that it will be very expensive, but I am seeking His kingdom first, and I trust that God will always provide.