Do not be anxious about anything

This tendency to worry seems to be universal, and perhaps that’s why there’s so much teaching on it in the Scripture. Three times in Psalm 37 we are told not to fret. The phrase at the head of this post is from Philippians 4, where Paul is teaching us how to enter into the peace that passes all understanding. Jesus had a lot to say about worry in the sermon on the Mount, and it seems worth quoting here.

Matt. 6:25    “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Matt. 6:28    “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The passage starts off with Jesus telling us not to worry about the basic necessities of life. In verse 27 he asks which of us can add a single hour to his life by worrying. What he is saying is that worrying is completely and totally useless, it serves no purpose whatsoever. In fact Psalm 37:8 tells us that it's worse than that, it actually leads to harm!

But how can we stop worrying? Jesus is basically telling us that the solution is to put our trust in God who knows our every need. Then He gives us a promise. As I have said before many promises have a premise, a condition to be fulfilled before we can claim the promised outcome. I’m thinking about verse 33 here. What Jesus is saying, is that if we seek his kingdom and his righteousness as our first and foremost concern, then all our needs will be taken care of.

If you think about it, many of the things that we worry about never happen. What a waste of time and energy and effort to obsess on things that might never happen. But even if they do, we know that God is always with us, he will never leave us nor forsake us, and will supply the solution at the time we need it, and not before. Therefore, I'm looking at verse 34, that therefore. What Jesus is saying here, is that because all these things are true, we need to stop worrying about what might never happen, and live one day at a time trusting in Him!

Father, you never give a command that with the command you don’t with the command also give the wherewithal to do it. Thus it is possible to stop worrying. Thank you for those times when I have seen this work in my life, help me in those times I tend to forget this lesson, and bring me into the peace that passes all understanding. Lord, because of your grace, this is available to all who choose to trust and to obey. I choose to trust, help me in my doubting in Jesus name Amen