Terrorism. Financial hardship. Chronic diseases. These are some reasons many people today are anxious or they worry about life. We are prone to anxiety and worry whenever problems or challenges in life cause us to feel overwhelmed. It’s easy for us to follow the world in this regard. But that’s not the will of God for us.
“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear,” Jesus told His disciples. “Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes” (Luke 12:22-23, NIV).
Food is important to us because we can’t live without it. That’s how God made us. And since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, we have to put on clothes in public. The absence of ample food and clothing can cause us anxiety and worry. But Jesus said we should not worry about these things.
Three Points for Moving Beyond Anxiety and Worry
Jesus shared several truths with His disciples to help them move past a life of anxiety and worry. We should incorporate the following truths into our lives as well.
1. God feeds the birds in the air. “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” (verse 24). Before reading these verses some decades ago, I failed to see things that way. I thought the process by which birds got food was all happenstance. But Jesus says God plays an active role in feeding the birds of the air. And the point is that you and I are much more valuable to God than the birds are.
2. Anxiety and worry will accomplish nothing. “Which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Jesus asks (verse 25). It is human nature for us to worry about serious problems. But worry is a complete waste of time. It solves absolutely nothing. We know that what Jesus is saying here is true about worry. Still, we have allowed it to become one of our main responses to life’s problems.
3. “Your Father knows that you need these things,” Jesus said concerning food and clothing and whatever else we need in this life (verse 30). Just in case anyone was wondering about that. So, why should this point ease our anxiety and worry about life? Because God is our heavenly Father and we are His children. He knows what we need, and He is able and faithful to provide for His own.
Our world has changed a lot since Jesus taught this lesson to His disciples nearly 2000 years ago. But God has not changed. He is still able to provide for our every need in this life. But it is only when we have childlike faith in this timeless truth that we can move beyond living our life in anxiety and worry.
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.