Worry Steals

“Worry is a thief” wrote Phil Ryken in Kingdom, Come! “It steals our time. Our thoughts turn to our troubles, and then rather than praying about them or doing the things God is calling us to do, we waste time worrying about them. Worry steals our rest. We lie awake at night, anxious about tomorrow, and then we get up too tired to work hard, and this only adds to our anxiety…Worry shrivels the soul, robbing our joy.”

Jesus had a lot to say about worry. In Matthew 6:25–27, He stressed its uselessness. In verses 26 to 32, He turns our attention to God’s provision, giving two natural object lessons: God’s care for birds (v. 26) and for flowers (vv. 28–29). Wildflowers do not “labor or spin,” but their “clothes” are gorgeous. This amusing image makes a strong contrast with all the effort people make with clothing. Not even Solomon with all his riches could compare to wildflowers! Given his legendary wealth and power, he was probably the best-dressed person Jesus’ listeners could imagine.

The “grass of the field” is comparatively insignificant, here today and gone tomorrow (v. 30). As before, Jesus argued from the smaller to the greater: Since God takes care of wildflowers, He will also take care of people. To worry therefore exhibits “little faith.”

This is not meant as an insult but an exhortation to have faith (v. 31). Food and clothing are merely examples—we should be trusting the Lord in every area of life. He already knows what we need. The “pagans” or unbelievers “run after all these things,” but we should live differently (v. 32). Our consumer-crazed culture illustrates this too well. By living counterculturally we can have a bright witness as faith-filled followers of Christ.

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