Do Not Worry

Matthew 6:25-34

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry 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? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?’ or “What shall we drink?’ or “What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

The issue that Jesus confronts in our text in Matthew 6 today is worry, anxiety. Three times in this passage Jesus says, “do not worry” (Matt. 6:25, 31, 34). In Matthew 6:25 it is an imperative with the sense of “stop worrying.” In verses 31 and 34 it is subjunctive with the sense of “don’t start worrying.”[1] If you are worrying, stop it, and don’t start worrying again. Our Lord speaks of “worry” six times in this passage. And in the original language, it’s a word that means to be ‘excessively thoughtful’ or ‘anxious’ or ‘troubled with cares.’[2]

Worry and anxiety plague our world today. We have grown accustomed to a prevailing attitude of worry. And the daily news seems almost crafted to give us more things to worry about for the days to come. “Will the world be safe? Will we have enough money? Will our money even be any good in the months to come? Will our provisions for tomorrow be enough? Will our own neighborhood be safe? Will we have our health? Will things be secure?”[3]

Ligon Duncan points out that worry is our respectable sin. Christians know that they are not supposed to murder, commit adultery, or lie, or cheat, or steal, or, at least they are not supposed to admit that they do; but we all admit to one another that we worry. And perhaps we do so because we do not realize what a vital spiritual issue it is.[4] One preacher said:

Worry is sin because it denies the wisdom of God; it says that He doesn’t know what He’s doing. It denies the love of God; it says He does not care. And it denies the power of God; it says that He isn’t able to deliver me from whatever is causing me to worry.[5]

Why does Jesus begin teaching about the danger of worry? Notice that Matthew 6:25 begins with the word “therefore”. It has the sense of “Because of this …” or “For this reason …” This means that His command not to worry is the consequence of what He says in the proceeding verses. Remember that Jesus had been teaching about material possessions, treasure, money. And Jesus said that how we deal with money and material possessions is really a matter of the heart. The principle He gave in Matthew 6:21 was, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” In Matthew 6:19-20 Jesus taught us to consider our treasure. So we asked the question, “Where am I storing my treasure?” We saw that where you store your treasures shows where your heart is. If you treasure up your treasures on earth, not only will they not last, but they will also pull your heart away from God. Instead, we are to store up our treasure in heaven.

In Matthew 6:22-23 Jesus taught us to consider our vision, and we asked, “What am I seeking?” To set our focus continually on the pursuit of earthly things will obscure our vision of the things that really matter. And finally, Jesus taught us to consider our master, and we asked, “Who am I serving?” Jesus said that you cannot serve both God and mammon. A devotion to one expels a love for the other.

Jesus is teaching us that, if we base our security in life on an earthly treasure, (1) we will have invested ourselves in a treasure that’s certain to be lost to us, (2) we will have impaired our ability see things as they really are, and (3) we will have compromised our devotion to the one who made us for Himself. How could we help but live a life of worry in such a spiritual condition? The sin of greed or covetousness expresses itself not only in an accumulation of wealth but also in an attitude of worry.

And so, Jesus says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life …”

His words mean more than just a mere encouragement. Grammatically, His words are put in what is called a ‘prohibition in a present imperative’. What that means is that Jesus is actually commanding us to stop an action that we are presently doing. It’s not just, “do not worry about your life.” It’s better translated, “stop worrying about your life.” It’s as if He was saying, “You’ve been worrying about your life up to this point. Now, stop it.”

In other words, dear brothers and sisters, this isn’t merely an encouragement to put away worrying. It’s a command to be obeyed—given to us authoritatively by our Lord and Master who possesses perfect wisdom, sovereign power, and all authority. Now, before we go another step further, stop and be honest with yourself. Are you worrying about your life today?

We will divide this passage into two parts. First, our Lord gives some reasons why we should not worry; and then, He tells us what we should do instead. So first, let’s consider …

1. Why We Must Not Worry

Our Lord gives us several reasons why we are not to worry.

A. The Nature of Our Life

The first reason He gives for why we’re not to worry about our daily needs for life is found in the nature of our life itself. Jesus says, “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matt. 6:25b).

What does Jesus mean by this? I think that a clue is found in a parable He told about a man who tried to build such a secure earthly treasure for himself that he’d never have to worry about his life again. Jesus taught in Luke 12,

The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops, and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”‘ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21).

And it’s very instructive how Jesus began this parable. He said, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15).

Every day the worldly media parades before our eyes the rich and famous. We might be tempted to think, “Wow, what a life he or she has!” But that’s not what God calls “life”. A truly abundant and successful life is not defined by this world, but rather by the One who made the world and redeemed us for Himself. And He says that life does not consist in an abundance of things, but rather in being rich toward God.

And so, we’re not to worry about things like our food, or our drink, or our clothing because they don’t make up the stuff of life. These things aren’t “life” but only the things that serve our bodies; and our bodies are only meant to house our eternal souls. And it’s that soul which is capable of an eternal relationship with God. That eternal relationship is what God calls “life”. “This is eternal life,” Jesus prayed, “that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).

True “life” is infinitely more than just the things we need to sustain our bodies on earth. Our life means so much to the heavenly Father that He has willingly given His own Son to redeem us. Our immeasurable value to Him means that we never have to worry about our provisions for tomorrow. As Paul put it in Romans 8:31-32;

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32).

So, let’s not worry about mere food and clothing. May we never make the things that maintain our bodies ‘bigger’ in the scheme of things than they really are. Let’s keep them in perspective. They are not the stuff real life is made of. An eternal relationship with God through Jesus Christ—that’s “life”.

B. The Faithfulness of our Father

Secondly, Jesus goes on to show us that we should not worry because our Father has already proven to be a good Provider. He has a great record of providing for His creation; and He has left the evidence of that provision everywhere. All we have to do is look around and see.

In Matthew 6:26, Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” You and I can see it by looking out our windows every day. God—our faithful Father—provides for them. And Jesus asks, “Are you not of more value than they?” You and I can be assured that the God who provides for them daily—and who values us far more than He values them—will never take less care of us than He does of them.

He argues from the lesser to the greater; showing us (1) that God provides daily for the birds of the air, (2) that we are of greater value to God than the birds, and (3) therefore, God will surely provide for our daily needs as well. In another context, Jesus says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31).

I believe the Lord Jesus wanted this particular point to grip our hearts; and so, He gave us another example. He went on to say in Matthew 6:28-30, ”So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

God has made flowers with marvelous, intricate beauty. Even the most simple of them—the ones that we hardly notice, the ones that we tend to mow over and toss in the pile, the ones that we throw away when they begin to wilt—are clothed with greater beauty than the fanciest of manmade garments. Solomon – the wealthiest and most elegantly adorned of all the kings – could do no better than faintly model his fashions after the simple lilies. And lilies are short-lived – here only for a day or so, then gathered up and thrown away with the rest of the yard debris. We are much more valuable to God then they. Jesus says, “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matt. 6:30).

Jesus again uses an argument from the lessor to the greater: (1) that God beautifully ‘clothes’ the grass of the field, (2) and that we’re far more precious to Him than the grass of the field; (3) therefore, we can rest assured that He’ll see that our need for clothing is faithfully met.

And so to worry about it, reveals what you think about God. Either you think God has His priorities all mixed up, or you think God doesn’t know any better, or you think God just doesn’t care about you. All three indicate a lack of faith in God, and that is why Jesus says, “O you of little faith!” Worry is a slap in the face to God. Worry is an extreme lack of faith. When we worry about those things, it sends a message to God that either we don’t think He can provide or we don’t think He will. One insults His power, the other insults His love. And so we see what worry reveals about us. It reveals a lack of faith.

The truth is God will provide for His children. This, of course, doesn’t mean that we will always eat exquisitely or be dressed splendidly. But that’s not meant to be the point. The point is that if God provides so faithfully for things that are so much less in value to Him than we are, then we can be sure that He’ll provide for our needs. Therefore, we should never worry about such things.

C. The Uselessness of Worry

Jesus tells us thirdly that we should cease from worrying because worry is a complete waste of time and energy. It accomplishes nothing at all. In Matthew 6:27, He said, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” No one has ever made their life one day longer or the quality of their life one bit better by worrying. In fact, if anything, worry is how many people have ended up making their life shorter, and bringing the quality of their life down much lower!

The NASB translates Matthew 6:27, “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” In other words, even if you are consumed with preserving this life, do you suppose that worry will help you do that?

What doctor has ever said “We have found that a healthy diet, daily exercise, and ample amounts of time spent in worry have been found effective to add years to the average person’s life”?

On the contrary, doctors will tell you that anxiety and stress is not good for you. When is the last time you ever visited someone ill in the hospital and said, “I think the only thing that will save you is if you would start worrying.” The point is that worry accomplishes nothing.[6]

There aren’t any benefits to worry. In fact, there’s a great deal of harm that comes from too much of it. It’s clear that our Creator didn’t design us for worry. So, why do it?

D. The Godlessness of Worry

And Jesus gave us one more reason to cease worrying; and that’s because worry is a characteristic of the godless. In verses 31-32, our Lord said, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek.” ‘Gentiles’ is a figure of speech for someone who is outside of a covenant relationship with God by grace. It’s a way of describing an unbeliever. And what our Lord is saying is that it is the mindset of an unbeliever—someone who does not know God and doesn’t have a relationship with Him by faith—to fret about their daily needs. Paul described such people as “… without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). Such a person lives in a “secular” frame of mind. They do not look to God as their Provider; and so, the focus of their lives must be to worry about what to eat, or what to drink, or what to wear. It’s all up to them. Worry is the appropriate frame of mind for the person who has no relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

To me, this is the most convicting of the reasons that our Lord gives. I wonder how many times I have worried in such a way as to insult the goodness of my Father, and have behaved as if I didn’t belong to Him at all. It reminds me that worry is not just a bad habit that we need to bring an end to in our lives but rather a sin for which we need to repent and ask forgiveness.

By contrast, it’s the mindset of a genuine believer to be at peace and to not fret about where food and drink and clothing will come from; “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things,” (Matt. 6:32). We are not to live as if the provision of life is all up to us. We have a powerful and wealthy heavenly Father who wonderfully provides for us; and we are to live confidently under His continual care.

Many of us can testify to times in which God has remarkably provided for our needs before we even realized those needs existed! It’s very clear that our heavenly Father perfectly knows our every need. He doesn’t always give us everything we want—and we can be grateful He doesn’t because sometimes we want what is not good for us. And our Father may even allow us to suffer times of need—but always only for a brief while, and always in order to teach us some new lesson about His faithfulness. But He will always prove to have provided completely for our needs from out of His perfect wisdom and knowledge. His provision often seems, from our imperfect perspective, to arrive at the last minute; but from His perspective, it’s always right on time.[7]

So then; those are the reasons that our Lord gives for not worrying about food and drink and clothing—and along with those things, everything else: our Lord commands us not to do it; our life is more than the things we worry about; our Father has already proven Himself to be a good provider; worry does no good; and finally, it’s contrary to faith in our faithful heavenly Father.

Next time we will see what we are to focus on instead of the cares of this world.

2. Seek God’s Kingdom

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[1] John MacArthur, Overcoming Financial Worry, Part 1, https://www.gty.org/library/study-guides/40-0595/mastering-materialism

[2] Larry Pierce, Blue Letter Bible Outline of Biblical Usage, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3309/nkjv/tr/0-1/

[3] Greg Allen, Do Not Worry About Tomorrow, https://bethanybible.org/new/sermon/2022/2022-01-02/do-not-worry-about-tomorrow  

[4] Ligon Duncan, Anxiety’s Antidote, http://fpcjackson.org/resource-library/sermons/true-religion-part-6-anxiety-s-antidote/

[5] MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 2281). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. Quoted by Gregory Brown, How To Overcome Worry (Matthew 6:25-34),  https://bible.org/seriespage/29-how-overcome-worry-matthew-625-34#_ftn1

[6] Rory Mosley, The Sin of Worry, https://fbcspur.org/sin-worry-matthew-625-34/

[7] Greg Allen, Do Not Worry,  https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2003/110903.htm

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