Worrying is something some people seem to be good at doing. They fret over things that may never happen, and in the process, they live their lives in turmoil, without peace. To have peace in our lives, Jesus tells us we are not to worry, especially about material things. Matthew 6:34 says, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (KJV) The New American Standard Bible (1995) puts it this way, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
It is hard in the days and times we live in, not to be concerned about our material needs, but the Bible tells us that we should take a lesson from the birds and flowers. They don’t worry about what to eat or what to wear because God takes care of them. (Matthew 6:25-33) Jesus tells us that God has it all under His control, and He loves us so much that He takes care of our needs, even before we know we need those things. That should give us something to not only be grateful for but also put our minds at ease. In the phrase of today’s jargon, “God’s got this!”
Some may say, “But shouldn’t we make plans for our future?” Sure, but not to the point that we are nervous wrecks when our plans don’t pan out. Sometimes what we plan isn’t in the plan God has for us. That has happened to me. My first husband and I moved from Ohio to Montana, and it was a stressful move. I very emphatically stated, “We are never moving cross-country again!” I joke now that when I said that God laughed and said, “Oh yeah? Watch this!” and He moved us from Montana to Illinois! Since then, I have moved from Illinois to Arizona and now to Missouri! God has a great sense of humor, but He also has our lives in His hands, and we can trust that He knows what He is doing and that He will take care of us.
Worry results in sleepless nights, and it also shows that we don’t trust God enough to take care of us. Why do you think Jesus had to address this? People become so anxious about things and situations, that they forget to trust God. Matthew 6:31-32 gives clear instruction, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” (KJV)
I must admit, I’m not much of a planner. I don’t sit down and write out meal menus for the week as some do. I kind of do things at the spur of the moment. Maybe I’ll plan out a vacation or a trip, but as far as, “What do you see yourself doing in five years?” I’m not that person. Just like the incident with moving I mentioned above, I learned that there’s my plan and there’s God’s plan, and His plan always supersedes mine. His plan is always better anyway. In saying that, there’s nothing wrong with making plans for the future. We just need to be sure we aren’t so stressed over those plans that we have no peace. To sit and worry that illness or accident may come, when it may never come, shows a lack of trust in God’s ability to care for us.
1 Peter 5:8-11 says, “So, humble yourselves under God’s strong hand, and in his own good time he will lift you up. You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern.” (Phillips) I like that…we are His personal concern. He cares so much for us that we can rest upon Him, let Him take care of the details, and live in peace.
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