Anxious? Don’t Be. Plan for God.

Do you find yourself worried about what’s next, what you will eat, or drink, or wear? God provides for our essentials in life.

“²⁵Therefore 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?” – Matthew 6:25 (ESV)

Jesus is pretty clear here in verse 25. Don’t worry about the essentials. I wonder how much more joy we would be able to have if we simply accepted what God provides for the essentials and did not look for more, “better”, “nicer”? What if we just spent our lives content with what God provides and used our energy to focus on Him?

“²⁶Look 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?” – Matthew 6:26 (ESV)

We are made in the image of God and therefore aren’t we of more value than the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and the lilies of the field? With that being so, and God provides for the needs and essentials of they, then wouldn’t He provide for the essentials for us?

It is up to us to be focused on the work of God and less on the work of man.

“³³But see first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” – Matthew 6:25-26 (ESV)

We are to be focused on God and doing his work. When we are worried about the essentials, are we truly focused on Him?

Yes, we should prepare for tomorrow, but preparation is different than worry. When we prepare, we set the stage to know, with as much certainty as possible, what is coming and to take action. To worry is to allow the unknown to consume and paralyze us into inaction.

Are you anxious as to where your next meal out on the town, next designer bag, or next glass of wine comes from? Are you focused on planning for what comes next, or paralyzed with fear of the unknown? Are you anxious about the essentials or planning for God?