TEXT: Matthew 6:31-34 (CSB): “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
We started a couple of days ago by saying that this year we have had a lot to be troubling. Since March we have been dealing with the Covid-19 virus and major changes in our lives, economics, education systems, and for some – our faith. As we continue in the study on the Sermon on the Mount, this section seems to speak volumes to us. Trusting is the opposite of Worrying. Trust is the reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. It is also in the Greek the idea of a confident expectation of something; what we call HOPE. So today, as we finish this section of the Sermon on the Mount, let us see Jesus’ Invitation.
Another thing that worry does is put us in the same category as those who don’t know God because in verse 32 it reads that the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
The pagan or the person who doesn’t know God lives in a way in which he relies on himself.
When we start fretting and worrying about what are we going to eat, what are we going to wear, how are we going to make it, “I need this, I need that,” we sound like the person who relies on himself instead of God.
Worry is, and always will be, a fatal disease of the heart – for its beginning signals the end of faith. Worry intrudes on God’s compassionate ability to provide. When we allow our problems to overshadow God’s promises, we unknowingly doom ourselves to a defeat that was never part of God’s eternal plans.
If you know Jesus Christ today you are to look and live differently than one who doesn’t know God. Christians and non-Christians get the same challenges, trials, and illnesses because I believe that God wants to show the world that a Christian lives and responds differently to the worries and challenges of this life. The believer responds by resting and relying on God to provide no matter the circumstances.
How do we get relief? Not as the old commercial said, “ R-O-L-A-I-D-S!”
We find it in verse 33 of this passage – “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” The Greek word “seek” (zeteo) means to seek; to go after; to strive; to pursue; to desire; to aim at; to search for; to endeavor to get. It is an active verb – it is a command.
The believer’s life is not to be preoccupied with material things, as necessary as some things are. The believer is, first of all, to be seeking after the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We are to look to God first and all our needs will be provided for. The reason we have so many worries is that we’re seeking everything but God first. We are too concerned about what does the bank account says, what does the doctor says, what does the horoscope says, what does the boss says.
We need to be concerned about what God wants us to do and be and then, and only then, can we have the right perspective on our lives. It is putting the right priorities in place. It is keeping the Main thing the Main thing.
· This means time for prayer and reading the Word.
· We will put God first in every week, attending the house of God faithfully.
· It means sincerely desiring to grow in the Lord
· We will put God first every payday, paying the tithe to the Lord.
· We will put God first in our choices, making no decision that would leave God out.
Verse 34 tells us that we don’t have to worry about tomorrow as tomorrow will get here when it gets here – but there are enough trials and troubles we will have to face today. By God’s grace, we need to deal with what is before us today. Note that it doesn’t say for us to worry about today either, but God is saying why look ahead and worry about things that haven’t yet happened and that you can’t even control because you don’t know if you will make it through this day.
When we are tempted to worry about things in our life, we need to also look at Philippians 4:6 –
“Don’t worry about anything,
but in everything,
through prayer and petition with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.”
We need to be praying about every need, situation and problem in our lives. Soon as you hear the rumor on the job, hit your knees when fear and worry creep up about losing your job. Soon as you hear the news of some health problem, hit your knees. When you don’t know where your next meal is coming from, hit your knees.
God is willing and able to take care of us.
The result in verse 7 of Philippians 4 –
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
As a result of giving your cares to God, you can get peace of mind.
There’s nothing like peace of mind. You also stay healthier, physically and mentally because God guards your heart and your mind.
You want peace and freedom from worrying, give all your cares to Jesus. In a sense, we do have a professional worrier, like the man in the story, because 1Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your worries on God, because he cares for you.”
Jesus wants us to give him every worry and concern because he is able to give us everything we need for each and every situation – give it to Jesus! To get hooked up with this professional worrier – the cost is absolutely free – All you have to do is give him your cares and concerns and he will take care of you.
Release the regrets of yesterday, refuse the fears of tomorrow and receive instead, the peace of today.
Yes, simply let go and let God.
Worry is no match for Jesus. My hope is that we will give our worries over to the real champion – Jesus Christ!
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