Do Not Be Anxious • Devotion 4: Letting Anxiety Rule
Pastor John Carter
“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” Matthew 6:31-32
As we walk through the anxieties of this life, we need to hear the words of Jesus. In this verse, He starts off with a strong “therefore.” James Swanson writes, “The word ‘therefore’ is a marker of a result. It means indeed, surely, and then. A marker of a greater emphasis than other markers, but a marker of a relatively weak contrast.”
That indicates that what we have learned in previous days, is not in contrast with each other but is closely related. We walked through anxiety and pessimistic viewpoints versus viewing things from the promise. The result is what we previously studied in Matthew chapter 6. The result of the “therefore” is closely related to how we understand God’s view of us. We see that God views us as valuable and He knows each and every need that we have. He knows we need food, water, and clothing. Since we know that God knows these things, “therefore” do not be anxious. If I am to put this bluntly; because we have faith in the promise of who God is, then our anxiety needs to go away. I am reminded of a passage from Paul regarding this verse in Matthew. Philippians 4:5-7 says, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
In previous weeks, we have walked through aspects of prayer. What we heard from Jesus is affirmed again in these two verses. Our “heavenly Father knows” what we need and He wants us to pray and make our requests known to Him. He wants our confidence to be in His provision over anything else. I have an amazing 6-year-old daughter. She always goes to her mother when she is hungry. She will go to her and ask for food repeatedly. It is very rare that she comes to me and asks for food. I think she learned that I am not so good in the kitchen and that the provision I give her might not be as good as what Mom would give her. She knows instinctively where the source of the best food comes from. “Therefore,”she goes to her mother and asks for the food. I know that might be an extremely oversimplified perspective. However, I believe it is exactly what God is showing us concerning our needs and provisions. We know who the source of our provision and needs comes from, “therefore,” we go to the Father and ask. We ask, believe, and trust; that is where the peace of God comes from. It is this very peace on which the promise is given. The promise is that this knowledge will guard (protect) our hearts and minds. Is it not interesting that the two areas of the negative, worry and anxiety, affect the heart and mind? The way to protect us from heart trouble and mind trouble is to go to the source of peace. Just as Paul learned and taught the Philippians to not be anxious and seek the source of peace, we need to learn to do the very same thing.
Peace and anxiety are complete opposites of each other. They are both elements that rule the mind, have impact on the body, and ultimately, point us to the condition of our heart. Were you able to see the promise in Matthew? Did you see the promise in Paul’s words? Do they comfort you? Do you still struggle with the details? How is this going to actually work? I find it interesting that Jesus inserts this statement, “The Gentiles seek after all these things.” I believe Jesus is asking us to really examine where we allow our hearts and minds to go when it comes to provision. When Jesus references the Gentiles, He is simply identifying a group of people that do not have faith or hope in God. Jesus says that even those who have no hope in the person or character of God, seek after this. It is something that is on their mind and affects their motives. In contrast to the Gentiles, we, who know the personal character of God, should know that our Heavenly Father knows what we need. Do we trust Him to provide? When it comes to this battle between peace and anxiety, we have to examine how we view God.
I rationalize it this way in my own mind; in our society, we call parents that fail to feed, water, or clothe their children as neglectful. In extreme measures, we would even call them abusers for severe neglect. Is God the Father an abuser of His children? Does He neglect His children? When the Bible says that God “will never leave you nor forsake you,” do you believe it? He has promised it in His Word.
- “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:5-6
- “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.” Psalm 37:23-28
As we start to apply the teaching of Jesus to our lives, we see very quickly that His teaching in Matthew chapter 6, is directly related to our understanding of the character of God Himself. If we see God as a person who does not care for His children, is neglectful and uncaring, our heart is going to lean away from the peace and security that God promises to us. Psalm 37 points us to the fact that we are all guilty of tripping up on this trust element of God. However, the reminder is constantly pointing us to the person and character of God, He will not forsake us. Take today to reflect on your own doubts about the person of God. Really ask yourself if you are showing trust in His character and promises. I find myself often asking this question, “Is it harder for God to save my soul than it is for Him to provide my needs?” When I compare my needs in life to the sins I have committed against God, I can quickly get overwhelmed and appreciate the promise of forgiveness God offers to me. I trust that forgiveness and live with the confidence that the forgiveness offered by God is genuine and real. In 1 John 1:9, we read, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
How is it that I can confidently trust in His promise to forgive me of my sins, yet I struggle to trust Him to provide me with my daily needs? If God can save my soul and forgive me of my sins, He most assuredly can provide me with the needs I require to sustain my life. Sometimes, I just need to remind myself of that simple, yet powerful, truth. Be blessed today! Trust in the promises of God in the big things as well as the little things.