Worrying Needlessly
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Key Verse: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Selected Scripture: |
IN OUR KEY TEXT JESUS tells his listeners to seek for the highest of all goals, ‘the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.’ Our Lord knew that the earthly-minded have different aims and ambitions and that worry takes a great toll upon their hearts. He counsels, ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow.’ This passage is better translated, “Be not anxious, … about the morrow.”—Matt. 6:34, Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott
There are proper concerns in this life, but our Lord counsels not to let these overwhelm the mind. Sufficient is the day, with its evil. Tomorrow will have its problems; however, these will pass.
The earthly-minded worry about how much of the treasures of this earth they can accumulate, not realizing the frailty of such trifles; which our Lord said could be stolen or moth-eaten. (vs. 19) He said, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12:15) The proper treasures we are to seek, are found in heaven, of which the greatest is the blessed fellowship with God and our loving Savior Jesus Christ.—I John 1:3
There is a need for explanation of verse 25. Will God supply us everything without our exerting an effort to obtain it? The answer is no. We read in Ephesians 4:28, “Let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good.” Jesus did not intend us to be passive and expect the Father to supply our needs. The Apostle Paul labored as a tentmaker, not leaning on others for his welfare. —Acts 18:3
In Matthew 6:31, the Greek word merimnao, translated ‘thought’ means ‘anxious concern.’ Those who have committed all into the hands of the Father need not have any anxious concern. Even the birds receive their food without anxious concern. All must realize that anyone’s efforts will not add to his stature even “one cubit.”—vs. 27
Jesus calls attention to “the lilies of the field.” (vss. 28,29) Through no efforts of their own, these small flowers of the earth survive, and are beautiful. Solomon with all his wealth and fame was not arrayed (clothed) like the lily. We find in these verses, dealing with the birds of the air, and the lilies of the field, the lesson of faith. Worry destroys faith. We remember how our Lord fed five thousand with only five loaves and two fishes. He rebuked the disciples for lack of faith.—Matt. 14:15-20; 17:19,20
The Lord says he can clothe the grass of the field, which is here today and gone tomorrow. We are much more precious than grass. Take no anxious thought, saying, “What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” Let others of a worldly mind seek after these things, for the Father knows what things we have need of. (Matt. 6:30-32) The Christian is not to worry needlessly, but to seek “first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.”—vs. 33