Do Not Worry

Read aloud

Jesus tells his disciples not to be anxious about their life—what they will eat, drink, or wear. He points to the birds, which do not sow or gather into barns, and to the lilies, which do not labor or spin. The Father feeds the birds and clothes the grass, so Jesus asks whether his children are not worth even more.

Jesus is not telling his followers to stop working, planning, or caring for real responsibilities. The birds still live as creatures in God's world, and the disciples are still called to seek God's kingdom and righteousness. He is confronting the kind of worry that becomes a master and makes tomorrow's uncertainty consume today's obedience.

He says the Gentiles seek after food and clothing, but the disciples' heavenly Father knows they need them. “Seek first” does not mean that food, housing, health, and work are unspiritual. Jesus promises that as they seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first, these necessities will be added to them. His Father’s care is the reason they can put His kingdom first.

Finally, Jesus says not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself, and each day has enough trouble of its own. That is not a promise that trouble will be absent. It is an invitation to receive today's grace and today's responsibility without borrowing every fear from the future.

Worry cannot add even an hour to life. Solomon’s splendid clothing cannot equal the lilies God clothes, though the grass lasts only a short time. Jesus’ questions invite His disciples to consider how much more their Father values them. Their needs are known to Him, and His care gives reason to trust.