Seeds for 06/20/2023 - Matthew 6:28-34
Scripture: 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Observation: Having addressed the folly of thinking we can gain time back by worrying, Jesus continues on the topic. Again, worry is anxious, controlling behavior, not a healthy sense of responsibility. It is frantic toil, not calm resolve.
This is paradoxical. In “frantic toil” mode, we are trying harder to be in control, but by trying to direct every little thing, life slips through our fingers. We do not trust that God is at work in our midst, so we grab hold of the steering wheel as if we are all-powerful. Yet in “calm resolve” mode, we have more capacity to influence the happenings of our lives. We understand that it isn’t all up to us and that we have the time we need, so we’re free to do our part, trusting both that God is working through us in ways we can’t perceive and that God is working around us in ways we can’t predict.
Only someone who has “cast all [their] anxiety upon Him because He cares for [them]” possesses the capacity to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” They have faith that God will provide for their basic needs as well. It’s a matter of putting first things first, and knowing the difference between first and second things. As vital as food and clothing are—and they are—God’s kingdom is primary. Even though we may feel more urgent about food, clothing, and the rest, we have a greater need for being anchored in God’s kingdom. That’s because being anchored in “His kingdom and His righteousness” gives us what we need most in order to survive and thrive: faith, hope, and love.
Ironically, it was Nietzsche who wrote, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” When we seek His kingdom first, we have the greatest possible why to live, which is union with and service to God. The “hows,” the trials and burdens of life, can be dealt with because we have found the ultimate “why” in Christ.
Application:
When do you notice yourself grabbing the wheel and anxiously attempting to control your life? What helps you hand it over to God?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, give me a heart to seek your kingdom and your righteousness, that I may anchor my life in you and not in my circumstances. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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