From the Book, Rules For Life: According To Jesus
16. Do Not Worry
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
Matthew 6:24-34
“Thinking about” is a little different than “worrying about”. We can plan, we can hope for, we can dream—it’s keeping out fear of not having things that Jesus is discussing here. He’s also speaking to our having overwhelming desires for earthly things—more so than desiring God and His things. If we care more about the kind of car we drive than getting to our friends’ house, then we aren’t thinking about the right things.
What you focus on is what you care about. If you focus on God and His will, then you are focusing on the right thing. If you focus on the nicest things that you can wear, the nicest car you can have, the biggest house you can impress people with, then you are not thinking of the things of God.
We need to stay somewhere in the middle, between too much and too little. Paul said it like this:
I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13
As in all things, Jesus cares more about the condition of our heart than the condition of our closet, pantry, or car.
The big takeaway here is to not let yourself be consumed with earthly things—one way or the other. When we have too many things in our life, we tend to focus on them; when we have too few things in our life, we tend to focus on what we don’t have. Be like Paul and care about the things of God, regardless of your wealth—with faith in God.
Focusing on what matters to God will keep you from focusing on what He detests: greed, covetousness, jealousy, haughtiness, stinginess…. Be pure and be content.
Previous – Pray Simply | Next – Store Up Treasures In Heaven
Sections in this study:
Introduction
1: Repent
2: Be Born Again
3: Place God First
4: Love and Serve One Another
5: Live By Faith
6: Forgive Others
7: Remain in Jesus
8: Live Righteously Before Men
9: Avoid Bad Influences
10: Stay On The Narrow Path
11: Do Not Return Evil With Evil
12: Give More Than Is Demanded
13: Love Your Enemies
14: Check Your Motives
15: Pray Simply
16: Do Not Worry
17: Store Up Treasures In Heaven
18: Do Not Be Judgmental
19: Guard what is Sacred
20: Care For Those In Distress
21: Do Not Swear Oaths
22: Watch out for false prophets
23: Exercise Spiritual Power
24: Have Childlike Faith
25: Do Not Exalt Yourself
26: Settle Disputes Quickly
27: Settle Disputes Between Believers
28: Do not Oppose Brethren
29: Remember Me
30: Be Merciful
31: Make Disciples
32: Be Ready
33: Obey Jesus’ Commands
Closing Comments
