The command ‘do not worry’ (Matt 6:25) is very direct and specific. Worry is defined as feeling anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems. We human beings are very good at worrying. It’s probably the default mode for many people, and largely arises because we like to be in control of things but have to face the fact that there are so many things in life which we can’t control. This creates tension in us and the inevitable consequence of wanting to live as masters of our own destinies leads to problems, with worry, anxiety and fear being the most usual outcomes.
Jesus reminded us in this passage (Matt 6:25-34) that to worry about these basics of life is not what God wants, focussing our attention on the spiritual as well as the physical: ‘Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?’ (Matt 6:25) Yet He does not despise the physical and is well aware of our material needs, reminding us that the God who cares for the sparrow and wildflowers will surely provide for us (see also Phil 4:19). As Corrie Ten Boom said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength”, so it is important for us to live in the security of a relationship with a loving heavenly Father if we are to live without worry.
