Don't Be Anxious

Downloadable Reflection Guide

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Do you know people who seem to worry about just about everything? Perhaps that’s you. Maybe you have a proclivity toward worry that causes you to be anxious about things that are beyond your control. It is difficult to avoid worrying about things when you anticipate having to deal with the negative consequences of the actions or inaction of others.

Here, Jesus makes a pair of comparisons moving in opposite directions. First, Jesus makes the argument that since God provides for us on a grand scale, it stands to reason that we can trust God for smaller things like food and drink. Then, Jesus makes the argument that since God cares for lesser creatures like birds and flowers so well, then we ought to have a lesser concern about whether God will likewise look after our needs.

The conclusion of chapter 6 ends with the statement “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34) Honestly many of us would do well to carry around a business card with this passage printed upon it. We have enough to worry about each day of our lives to spend (or rather waste our time) worrying about things taking place tomorrow. I see this when students become overwhelmed with the amount of homework that they have. Rather than focusing on tackling each assignment one at a time, they focus on the whole list of things they need to get done and start to feel panicked.

Many adults find themselves doing the same things when they spend time focusing on things that they need to do tomorrow rather than getting done the things that they can take care of today. This teaching of Jesus is meant to help us to remember to stay fully in the moment. This not only better allows us to tackle the work God sets before us today, but also allows us to be fully present to minister and care for others when the opportunity arises. This is something we are less likely to do if we are overly fixated on the troubles that tomorrow might bring.

Thoughts for Reflection

What are ways that you are able to keep yourself fully present and in the moment rather than worrying about what might be coming tomorrow?