- Chad Werkhoven
Matthew 6:24-34 - No Worries
Most people are drowning in stress & worries. Trade them for the peace of Christ.
Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1
Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own,
but belong—
body and soul, in life and in death—
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven:
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
Read / Listen
Read Matthew 6:24-34
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Listen to passage & devotional:
Summary
In this passage Jesus doesn't just suggest that you not worry about things, He commands you not to worry about things!
The key to being able to follow Jesus' command comes in the verse that precedes this passage:
Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
In other words, the more you run after the [shallow] things the pagans go after (v32) , the less you're going to be able to trust in God's providence, and the more you're going to worry.
Jesus points to the simple trust in their creator that the birds and wildflowers have. They don't worry or stress, yet they exhibit a beauty that far exceeds anything our efforts can produce. Jesus reminds you that since you're worth so much more than sparrows and grass, you can be certain that your Father will provide.
Today Jesus' reminds you that your Father knows what you need (v32). Align yourself with His kingdom and righteousness and he will give you immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20).
Dig Deeper
Remember that the primary source of your comfort is that you are not your own, but belong to your faithful Savior.
If you want to experience this comfort, then you need to live in this truth. The more you realize that you belong to your Savior, and seek His Kingdom and righteousness rather than stubbornly chasing material desires, the more anxiety and worry will be replaced with the comfort and peace of God.
Give your life a quick check up: during the few quiet times you get each day (by the way, you need more of those) what are you thinking about? Things of this world or things of God? Chances are there's a direct correlation between these thoughts and the amount of worry in your life.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father in heaven, you know what I need and you will provide for me.
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: I pray that I will seek first the Kingdom and righteousness of God.
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 3
