““Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:31–34, NASB95)

What goes through your mind when you are completely stressed out, and someone tries to encourage you by saying, “Don’t worry everything is going to be alright?” My human reaction usually is,

“How do you know things are going to be alright, are you God?

You have no idea what I am going through right now!”

Worry is a key emotion that Jesus addresses on in His Sermon on the Mount. Why? Because we live in an unstable world that is led by unstable people. People are subject to making decisions based on personal benefit versus corporate wellbeing, often leaving many out in the cold and left to take care of themselves. Worry is personal anxiety over what will happen in the future, and while we all worry at some level, anxiety can become a disorder when it dominates our life. Excessive worry can cause irritability, irrational thinking, and bondage because it can control your thinking.

Jesus is not calling people to live carelessly or recklessly in a laissez-faire life but calling Christ-followers to live differently than the world. The world worries about self-preservation and how they will control their future. Not so for the Christ-follower who has put their faith in God for their future. Pastor Robert Mounce once said, “Worry is practical atheism and an affront to God.” If you truly believe in God, then you must trust Him for your whole life and future.

As Christ-followers, we wrestle with the flesh and the cares of the world because we are in the world. And yet, our cares can never rise to a level that questions the character or the sovereignty of God. When people maintain the right vertical perspective and seek God first, they also gain confidence that the same God they are seeking will reveal His provision in His way and His timing. When we seek divine priorities, we will receive divine provision, and God will receive all the glory.

Look Up; God has got this – whatever your “this” is that you are anxious over – give it to God!

Pastor Cary