Worry! We all do it in some for or other. Whether it’s concern about getting our bills paid, dealing with health problems, family problems, or any other matter, worry is a factor in our lives. It makes us feel trapped in our circumstances. It can even incapacitate us and stunt our emotional and spiritual well-being. It is a significant enough presence in our lives that even Jesus taught about it. From His teaching in Matthew 6, we can see that the most crippling objects of worry are at best temporary. Jesus exhorts us to look past worry and toward the kingdom of heaven. So today we will look at some of the things Jesus touches on regarding worry.
Don’t Worry About the Temporary
Jesus instructs us not to worry about what we will wear, what we will eat or drink, or even how much wealth we can amass. When we look at it, these are all things which are destined to perish. However, if we don’t look at this section with a bit of reason, we could come away with the idea that personal responsibility is contrary to a life of faith. That is far from the truth. Let’s look at Jesus’ passage concerning food, drink, and clothing.
At first look, Jesus seems to be telling us not to worry about the basic necessities for survival. Everyone needs to eat, to drink, and to be clothed. Why wouldn’t we worry about this? However, Jesus references the Gentiles who seek after these things. The Gentiles of Jesus’ day work as a foil to the Jews. First, the Gentiles weren’t given the covenants and promises of Yahweh. In their view, their lives were completely dependent upon two things: 1. Their own efforts (becoming a self-made person) 2. The desires of the fates (determinism). Their drive in life was limited to this world. Their best hope was to succeed in this life. Their view of immortality lay in their offspring. They had nothing else to hope for beyond this life.
The Jews, however, had been given promises and covenants from God. By the time of Jesus, they even had a more developed view of the afterlife–eternal immortality. So when Jesus began to teach about worry, he was speaking to an oppressed people who were constantly under pressure to conform to the way of Gentiles.
The Gentiles of their day could be compared to the cities of our day. The Gentile worldview was the center for international culture with all its accoutrements. They prided themselves on the fanciest clothing and the most exotic foods and wines. These were all symbols of status in the prevailing Gentile culture. Jesus wasn’t necessarily teaching about not worrying about the basic necessities of life. He was addressing the temptation of Jews to fit in with the Gentiles. Why is this important? Because from the aspirations to be like the Gentiles, the tendency will trickle down into our attitudes regarding the basic necessities. The root of the issue is the “never enough” mentality (a.k.a. poverty mentality).
If we are concerned with what we don’t have, it will produce a flood of anxiety that will incapacitate us. Our drive for material things whether for status of provision will put our attention on temporary things. So Jesus uses examples in nature: the birds of the air have food enough; the lilies of the field are more naturally beautiful than Israel’s most opulent king. When we think in terms of scarcity, we limit our ability to truly live and relate. Thus, the worry of not having enough cripples us in what we can do, how we can live, and how we can love. Worry is an internal chain that binds us and prevents us from truly being free.
Worry Has no Lasting Benefit
Jesus’ point is that looking to the Father is the truest way to gain freedom from our chains. When we are more focused on our relationship with Him (and by extension right relationship with others), we are not as worried about what we eat, drink, or wear. The cure for materialism is healthy relationship. How many of us spend time and money keeping up with fashion? Buying just one more nice indulgence can quickly become a downward spiral to an empty materialism. If we find we are unable to attain our the hottest new outfit or eat at the new restaurant that just opened we find ourselves disappointed. This compulsion could also extend to the type of car we drive or the next entertainment upgrade.
Having a nice new outfit or a new entertainment system isn’t bad in and of itself. However, if it becomes something that we obsess over to the detriment of relationships, then we have put our energies into something that will eventually be in a landfill. We begin to worry about what we can’t have. We begin to lament not getting the bigger and the better.
The same root of worry also permeates a lower income mindset. There is never enough money to pay all the bills, to buy the right foods, etc. It becomes a seat of worry to afford even the basics. We can find ourselves trapped in a financial cycle constantly on the verge of losing amenities. When we are in a constant worry mode, we have a tendency to work harder at what isn’t working rather than explore something that may be better. It becomes a fact of life unless someone can show us a different way.
But Jesus offers us hope. He offers us a better way. It starts by working away from worry. Worry has never benefited anyone. Worry is something that keeps us trapped. It gives us tunnel vision regarding our situation. Jesus says there is no sense in worrying, because none of us is able to change the color of the hair on our head. What he recommends instead is to look to the Father for provision; for a fresh perspective; for a way to get free.
The Key to Being Worry-Free is a Focus on the Kingdom of Heaven
Jesus instructs both those who aspire to have all the posh items of the cultured life and those who struggle to put food on the table to loose the chains of their worry by looking to our Father in heaven. “Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all this will be added to you.” The father will provide. He will give us tokens of grace throughout our lives as we look to Him-not for material payout, but for an intimate relationship. The more we focus on what we don’t have, the less we can be intimate with other and the less we are thankful for what we do have.
However, when we look to the Father as the one who is sufficient in all situations, we find an increase in the tokens of grace. We find His provision in unusual ways. He could provide people to help guide us into gaining more marketable skill sets. He could gift us with a reliable vehicle. He could open up a new job prospect. We’ll have to partner with Him and do our part. However, He will provide.
So for Jesus teaching to the Jews, he was instructing them to seek God’s kingdom. His provision is vast. We may not end up with a new sports car or a penthouse suite. But we will be given opportunities to better ourselves. Our relationship with the Father can help us build toward eternity with our tangible abilities; in the process we may just find ourselves building toward a better temporal life as well.
Sometimes the Lord’s hand is conventional. Sometimes it is unconventional. Regardless, if we focus on giving thanks for what we do have, seek the Kingdom of Heaven (a.k.a. relationship with the Father), we will find our needs provided for. God is faithful.
Thank you for reading the blog this week. If you don’t want to miss the newest posts, be sure and register your email. At TGP it is our mission to create an environment where people can experience the Presence, Love, and Power of God. I pray this post has spoken to your heart as you seek the kingdom of heaven.