²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:25-34

Dear God, these words are meant more and were more challenging to a Jewish person listening to Jesus in 30 A.D. than they mean to an American in 2024. Or at least to me. I can hear about worrying about food or clothing or some of the necessities of life, but the truth is that I don’t really need to worry about those things per se. But the people listening to this sermon that day had legitimate worries about how they would eat and what they would find to wear. Jesus was speaking to their reality.

So if Jesus were here talking to me today, what would he choose to focus on in my life. “Don’t be anxious about your children.” “Don’t be anxious about your work.” “Don’t be anxious about staffing challenges.” “Don’t be anxious about how you will help your clients.” These are some of the burdens that are on my heart this morning as I sit here. When I think about the worry that is in my heart, this is what I’m thinking of.

Father, as my wife and I were praying together this morning I was praying that you will use these different opportunities to help me be your blessing to those for whom I am concerned. As much as I love and care for each person I just mentioned, I know you love them more. You want them to be in complete relationship with you, happy, and peaceful. Help me to be a source of that for them. Love them. Show me how to love them. Show me what to do in each situation. And please lay out the path for me. Make it obvious, clear, and direct. Holy Spirit, be with me today. And help me to remember to completely lean on you.

I offer this prayer to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen