SOURCES

https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Matt/Do-Not-Value-Possessions-
Worry

https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/forbiblestudynerds/2014/11/matthew-625-34-do-not-worry-
cultural-commentary.html/amp

https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=40&c=6

http://answersfromthebook.net/please-explain-matthew-625-34-how-can-i-apply-it-in-my-daily-living/

https://gracebibleny.org/the_cure_for_anxiety_matthew_6_25_34

VIDEO AND MUSIC SOURCES

https://youtu.be/L2jIXPgRgCo

https://youtu.be/wBxoqZ_GlE8

https://youtu.be/y-XW80V5sIcPARALLELISM

And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you
will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more
than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn,
and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! And which of you by
worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do
you worry about other matters? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell
you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass
in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He
clothe you? You men of little faith! And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do
not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows
that you need these things. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

Luke 12:22-31 NASB

https://bible.com/bible/100/luk.12.22-31.NASB
Matthew 6 Bible Commentary
1. Bible > Bible Commentary
2. Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary (concise)
3. Matthew
4. Matthew 6

Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary (concise)

<< Matthew 5 | Matthew 6 | Matthew 7 >>
(Read all of Matthew 6)

Complete Concise

Chapter Contents
Against hypocrisy in almsgiving. (1-4) Against hypocrisy in prayer. (5-8) How to pray. (9-15) Respecting
fasting. (16-18) Evil of being worldly-minded. (19-24) Trust in God commended. (25-34)

Commentary on Matthew 6:1-4

(Read Matthew 6:1-4)
Our Lord next warned against hypocrisy and outward show in religious duties. What we do, must be done from
an inward principle, that we may be approved of God, not that we may be praised of men. In these verses we
are cautioned against hypocrisy in giving alms. Take heed of it. It is a subtle sin; and vain-glory creeps into
what we do, before we are aware. But the duty is not the less necessary and excellent for being abused by
hypocrites to serve their pride. The doom Christ passes, at first may seem a promise, but it is their reward; not
the reward God promises to those who do good, but the reward hypocrites promise themselves, and a poor
reward it is; they did it to be seen of men, and they are seen of men. When we take least notice of our good
deeds ourselves, God takes most notice of them. He will reward thee; not as a master who gives his servant
what he earns, and no more, but as a Father who gives abundantly to his son that serves him.

Commentary on Matthew 6:5-8

(Read Matthew 6:5-8)
It is taken for granted that all who are disciples of Christ pray. You may as soon find a living man that does not
breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray. If prayerless, then graceless. The Scribes and Pharisees
were guilty of two great faults in prayer, vain-glory and vain repetitions. "Verily they have their reward;" if in so
great a matter as is between us and God, when we are at prayer, we can look to so poor a thing as the praise
of men, it is just that it should be all our reward. Yet there is not a secret, sudden breathing after God, but he
observes it. It is called a reward, but it is of grace, not of debt; what merit can there be in begging? If he does
not give his people what they ask, it is because he knows they do not need it, and that it is not for their good.
So far is God from being wrought upon by the length or words of our prayers, that the most powerful
intercessions are those which are made with groanings that cannot be uttered. Let us well study what is shown
of the frame of mind in which our prayers should be offered, and learn daily from Christ how to pray.

Commentary on Matthew 6:9-15

(Read Matthew 6:9-15)
Christ saw it needful to show his disciples what must commonly be the matter and method of their prayer. Not
that we are tied up to the use of this only, or of this always; yet, without doubt, it is very good to use it. It has
much in a little; and it is used acceptably no further than it is used with understanding, and without being
needlessly repeated. The petitions are six; the first three relate more expressly to God and his honour, the last
three to our own concerns, both temporal and spiritual. This prayer teaches us to seek first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness, and that all other things shall be added. After the things of God's glory, kingdom,
and will, we pray for the needful supports and comforts of this present life. Every word here has a lesson in it.
We ask for bread; that teaches us sobriety and temperance: and we ask only for bread; not for what we do not
need. We ask for our bread; that teaches us honesty and industry: we do not ask for the bread of others, nor
the bread of deceit, Proverbs 20:17; nor the bread of idleness, Proverbs 31:27, but the bread honestly gotten.
We ask for our daily bread; which teaches us constantly to depend upon Divine Providence. We beg of God to
give it us; not sell it us, nor lend it us, but give it. The greatest of men must be beholden to the mercy of God
for their daily bread. We pray, Give it to us. This teaches us a compassion for the poor. Also that we ought to
pray with our families. We pray that God would give it us this day; which teaches us to renew the desires of
our souls toward God, as the wants of our bodies are renewed. As the day comes we must pray to our
heavenly Father, and reckon we could as well go a day without food, as without prayer. We are taught to hate
and dread sin while we hope for mercy, to distrust ourselves, to rely on the providence and grace of God to
keep us from it, to be prepared to resist the tempter, and not to become tempters of others. Here is a promise,
If you forgive, your heavenly Father will also forgive. We must forgive, as we hope to be forgiven. Those who
desire to find mercy with God, must show mercy to their brethren. Christ came into the world as the great
Peace-maker, not only to reconcile us to God, but one to another.

Commentary on Matthew 6:16-18

(Read Matthew 6:16-18)
Religious fasting is a duty required of the disciples of Christ, but it is not so much a duty itself, as a means to
dispose us for other duties. Fasting is the humbling of the soul, Psalm 35:13; that is the inside of the duty; let
that, therefore, be thy principal care, and as to the outside of it, covet not to let it be seen. God sees in secret,
and will reward openly.

Commentary on Matthew 6:19-24

(Read Matthew 6:19-24)
Worldly-mindedness is a common and fatal symptom of hypocrisy, for by no sin can Satan have a surer and
faster hold of the soul, under the cloak of a profession of religion. Something the soul will have, which it looks
upon as the best thing; in which it has pleasure and confidence above other things. Christ counsels to make
our best things the joys and glories of the other world, those things not seen which are eternal, and to place
our happiness in them. There are treasures in heaven. It is our wisdom to give all diligence to make our title to
eternal life sure through Jesus Christ, and to look on all things here below, as not worthy to be compared with
it, and to be content with nothing short of it. It is happiness above and beyond the changes and chances of
time, an inheritance incorruptible. The worldly man is wrong in his first principle; therefore all his reasonings
and actions therefrom must be wrong. It is equally to be applied to false religion; that which is deemed light is
thick darkness. This is an awful, but a common case; we should therefore carefully examine our leading
principles by the word of God, with earnest prayer for the teaching of his Spirit. A man may do some service to
two masters, but he can devote himself to the service of no more than one. God requires the whole heart, and
will not share it with the world. When two masters oppose each other, no man can serve both. He who holds to
the world and loves it, must despise God; he who loves God, must give up the friendship of the world.

Commentary on Matthew 6:25-34

(Read Matthew 6:25-34)
There is scarcely any sin against which our Lord Jesus more warns his disciples, than disquieting, distracting,
distrustful cares about the things of this life. This often insnares the poor as much as the love of wealth does
the rich. But there is a carefulness about temporal things which is a duty, though we must not carry these
lawful cares too far. Take no thought for your life. Not about the length of it; but refer it to God to lengthen or
shorten it as he pleases; our times are in his hand, and they are in a good hand. Not about the comforts of this
life; but leave it to God to make it bitter or sweet as he pleases. Food and raiment God has promised,
therefore we may expect them. Take no thought for the morrow, for the time to come. Be not anxious for the
future, how you shall live next year, or when you are old, or what you shall leave behind you. As we must not
boast of tomorrow, so we must not care for to-morrow, or the events of it. God has given us life, and has given
us the body. And what can he not do for us, who did that? If we take care about our souls and for eternity,
which are more than the body and its life, we may leave it to God to provide for us food and raiment, which are
less. Improve this as an encouragement to trust in God. We must reconcile ourselves to our worldly estate, as
we do to our stature. We cannot alter the disposals of Providence, therefore we must submit and resign
ourselves to them. Thoughtfulness for our souls is the best cure of thoughtfulness for the world. Seek first the
kingdom of God, and make religion your business: say not that this is the way to starve; no, it is the way to be
well provided for, even in this world. The conclusion of the whole matter is, that it is the will and command of
the Lord Jesus, that by daily prayers we may get strength to bear us up under our daily troubles, and to arm us
against the temptations that attend them, and then let none of these things move us. Happy are those who
take the Lord for their God, and make full proof of it by trusting themselves wholly to his wise disposal. Let thy
Spirit convince us of sin in the want of this disposition, and take away the worldliness of our hearts.

We are NOT trusting the Lord to meet them, which is a SIN. One has said that worrying about the future
is sin because it denies the love, wisdom, and power of God. It “denies His love by implying that He
doesn’t care for us”; it “denies His wisdom by implying that He doesn’t know what He is doing”; and it
“denies His power by implying that He isn’t able to provide for our needs.”

2) We are acting like the unsaved who live only for material things. Verse 32 states, “For after all these
things the Gentiles seek.” The unbeliever lives only for the “here and now” and for those things that will
satisfy the desires of their bodies and minds. The Lord Jesus said in Luke 12:15: “Take heed and beware
of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” If our
hearts our occupied with “material things” instead of “the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” we
are sending a message to the world that the main purpose in life is to accumulate and possess material
wealth.

What is the remedy for worrying? There are many verses that provide the answer to this question but
one of my favorite passages is Philippians 4:6-7: “Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.” To “be anxious for
nothing” means we “won’t be worrying about anything” and this is possible through prayer,
supplication, and thanksgiving. If there is any concern about food, drink, clothing, or any other need we
have, we simply need to bring those needs to the Lord in prayer. We need to be “specific” (which is
what “supplication” means) and we need to be “thankful” for everything God has provided for us. If we
do this, worry will vanish from our lives and it will be replaced by “the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding.” (244.5) (DO)
Anxiety, worry, fret, distress, agitation, tension, irritability. Words that describe a feeling of an inner
turmoil that result in a feeling of outward uneasiness. The words describe a common feeling among
humans as we consider what the future may bring to us personally and to the ones we love.

Lets face it, this emotion is used to motivate us to do all sorts of things. The Jeep commercials that paint
a picture of some sort of bad storm and your child is sick and must get to the doctor. Don’t you want to
have a vehicle that is “safe and reliable.” Politicians also use this emotion to motivate you. How many
political campaigns center on mud slinging? The basic presentation is that “the future is uncertain, you
have reason to worry if the other guy is elected, but elect me and I will make the future better so that
you do not have to worry.” How many of our civic leaders were elected based on fear and worry rather
than on a careful weighing of the issues with sound reason and judgement. Think back to the few
elections and ask yourself this question. Did you cast your vote because you advocated the candidate
and their position or did you cast your vote in fear of the other candidate?

Anxiety, worry, fret, distress, agitation, tension, irritability. Common feelings, common emotions of man
that effect our outward look on life, our decision making, and ultimately the direction of our lives. Jesus
addresses this issue in Matthew 6:19-34. Jesus does not want us to be anxious and full of worry. He
wants us to live life in a different manner. He does not want us making decisions based on a fear of the
future. He wants the direction of our lives established on eternal truths rather than temporal things of
earth and the hollow promises of man.

In the first section of this passage, Matthew 6:19-21, which we examined in detail two weeks ago, Jesus
centers in on the issue of what you value the most. If you treasure the things of earth, then your heart
will be set on them, and the direction of your life will be to gain in the things of earth. If you treasure the
things of heaven, then your heart will be set on heavenly things, and your life will be spent in gaining
reward in heaven. (See: Where is Your Treasure?).

Jesus uses this truth to lead into the discussion of the next section of this passage that you can not serve
two masters, or more accurately, you cannot be a slave to two masters. You will either be a slave to God
and serve Him, or you will be a slave to the things of earth and serve them. That is a principle we can
build upon. If God is your master, then He is the one who will take care of you. If the things of earth are
your master, then you must rely on them for your future. It is precisely at this point that we find the
cause of anxiety. (See: Who’s Your Master?).

Consider again what Jesus says in Verse 19 in light of this. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon
earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” What feelings and emotions
accompany the person who is trying to store up for themselves treasures on earth. Worry that
something will eat up what he has stored. Anxiety that what has been stored up will corrode, devalue
and become worthless. Fear that someone will break in and steal what they have worked so hard to
accumulate. The cause of anxiety is fear that the treasure that has been accumulated will be lost. The
master they serve, their source of security, could be destroyed or stolen. Frankly, that is the reason for
the Y2K hesteria that is starting to surface. People advocating heading for remote locations, stockpiling
food for a year and arming themselves with guns to protect it all. In the next month or so I will present
to you the research I am doing on Y2K and give you are reasoned response to it. But at this point,
regardless of what may happen on January 1, 2000, this passage makes it clear that Jesus does not want
us to be fearful.

We will not be anxious if we follow verse 20, But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.” The treasure we
accumulate in heaven is protected by our master and therefore safe. We can be at peace. That is a
principle that we can build upon. If our master is the things of this world, if we serve mammon, then
there is no security and worry and anxiety will be present. If on the other hand our master is God, then
we can be secure and at peace because He will provide and protect.

The Command Against Anxiety

Notice how Jesus introduces Matthew 6:25-34 which we will concentrate upon in this study. He says,
“For this reason,” or in the KJV, “Therefore.” What is the “therefore” there for? In light of what Jesus has
already said about making sure that the master you serve is God, you are now to obey the following
command and then take security in promises following. The command Jesus gives in verse 25 is
predicated upon the principle given in the verses prior. The command is built on the principle that God is
to be our master. We are to serve Him and set our hearts upon heaven rather than on the things of
earth. The promises given in the passage are predicated on obedience to the commands.

The command is in Matthew 6:25, “do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you
shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on.” In the KJV, the phrase, “Take no thought” is
an old English expression which means to not worry or be anxious. The phrase is descriptive of the greek
word here which is derived from a root which means, “to be thoughtful,” in the sense of caring,
considering, striving after. The words “worry” and “anxiety” express this thought today. Be careful here
that you do not get from this the idea that Jesus does not want us to think at all about what we should
eat and drink and cloth ourselves. We shall see as we go through each of these items that we are to
both think about them and work to gain them, but the idea here is to not have our thoughts bound up
by them with a brooding, fearful concern. These are not the things that should occupy our minds and we
should have no apprehension that we will not have what we need.
The Reasons To Not Be Anxious

Jesus gives a clear command that we are not to have a fearful concern over the basic needs of life such
as food, drink, clothing. Jesus could have simply given the command and left it there with full
expectation that we should obey Him, but graciously He also explains the basis of the command. He
gives us the reasons why we should obey it. The primary argument is from the lesser to the higher. Jesus
says, “Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing.” The obvious answer is, of course life is
more than food and the body more than clothing. The argument is that since God is already master over
your life, don’t you think He will take care of the needs of that life which are so much more insignificant.
Jesus uses two analogies to demonstrate this.

God Provides Food

First, Jesus talks about food and anxiety. Remember that they are sitting on the side of a mountain
overlooking the sea of Galilee. Jesus is the expert of pointing out something common around Him to
explain a spiritual truth, and here Jesus points out the birds that are flying around and uses them to
bring home this spiritual truth. “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap,
nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than
they?”

Again the answer is obvious. Of course you are worth much more than the birds of the field. Jesus did
not set aside His glory and become a man for the sake of birds. Jesus did that for the sake of the
salvation of man. The argument is simple. If God will take care of insignificant birds, He will also take
care of you.

But let me throw a caution in here. There are some that have taken this passage and concluded that
they do not have to work. They do not have to think about earning a living, or sowing, reaping and
gathering into barns. They get the twisted idea that God will miraculously bring to them their food. Now
God is certainly capable of that, and He did so for the children of Israel by providing manna for forty
years in the wilderness. God also did that for Elijah when he had the ravens bring him food. Those were
exceptional situations and God graciously provided. But Jesus is not removing here the general curse
upon man in of Genesis 3:17-19 in which we are told that “by the sweat of your face you shall eat
bread.” Man still has to sow, reap and store.

The Apostle Paul had to deal with some people in the church at Thessalonica who refused to work. Paul
made the result of such an attitude clear in 2 Thess. 3:10-12, “if anyone will not work, neither let him
eat. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting
like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet
fashion and eat their own bread.” In the verses previous Paul said that with “labor and hardship” they
worked “night and day” so that they could pay their own way so that they could set an example and not
be a burden.

Jesus is not saying that we can quit working because God will provide. He is saying that we do not have
to be anxious because God will provide. The birds of the field do not sow, reap or gather into barns, but
they do work constantly at finding food and eating. They are not anxious about their work for God
provides. This is what Jesus is saying to us. Work, but do not be anxious about what the outcome will be.
God values you much more than the birds, and He will provide for you needs. Work and plan ahead, but
do not fret.

God Provides Clothing

In Matthew 6:28-30 Jesus brings up the matter of clothing and anxiety. Food is a basic need and so is
clothing, but when a person become pre-occupied with it, they can easily center their life around it.
Jesus tells us not to have a brooding, fearful concern about these things. When it comes to clothes, Jesus
says in verse 28, And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow, they
do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like
one of these. But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown in
to the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith.”

Again, Jesus is not saying that we should expect to be clothed like Solomon without working or that we
will be clothed as lovely as the flowers, but He is saying that if God takes such good care of such
insignificant things, then He will take care of us. The lilies of the field were the common flowers that
those hearing the sermon could see all around them. They were also aware that later in the year those
same plants would dry out and then be used for tender in starting fires for the ovens used to bake
bread. If God cares for something so insignificant, then He will take care of us.

These truths apply regardless of whether you are rich or poor, we should not be pre-occupied by food or
clothing. For the poor, the temptation to worry may be over concern that they will have enough to eat
and enough clothing to keep warm. Jesus says that you are worth far more than the birds of the sky or
the lilies of the field and God takes care of them, He will take care of you.

For the rich the temptation to worry may not be that they will have enough food or clothing, but over
what kind of food and what fashion the clothing. Concern over what you will have to eat will lead to
being unthankful for what God provides, and that is sin plain and simple. We want steak & lobster and
we get macaroni and cheese so we fail to rejoice in what God has provided. That is the sin of
ungratefulness. This was one of the sins by the children of Israel in the Wilderness as expressed in their
constant murmuring and complaining (Numbers 11:4,31f; 1 Corinthians 10:10). It is one of the many sins
that will characterize the last days according to 2 Timothy 3:2.

This is one of the areas we seek to train our children. If we want our children to demonstrate gratitude,
then it first must be in our own hearts. They learn by our example. If you want them to be thankful even
when they do not get their favorite meal, you need to be thankful as well. The same is true with
clothing.

Fashion is big business and it causes people to worry about what they are going to wear because they
want to be thought well dressed. Women are more susceptible to it, but there are plenty of men that
get caught in this too. How many of you worried about what you were going to wear to church this
morning? Let me ask it in another way, did you wear what you wore today to impress people or God? If
the former, then your interest what not the worship of God. If the later, then take notice, He looks at
your heart, not your clothes. How you dress should reflect your heart. 1 Peter 3:3 says it this way, “And
let not your adornment be merely external – braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on
dresses, but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gently and quiet
spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.” Certainly we dress in respect for God whom we worship,
but more important is the heart attitude with which you come to worship Him! Neither silk suits or
name brand blue jeans impress God. He is impressed with the person who desires to give their best to
Him in all things.

The Waste of Worry

In our passage Jesus also points out that the worry and concern of anxiety is foolishness. In Matthew
6:27 Jesus points out that it bring no benefit. “And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit
to his life’s span.” The cubit here is just a reference to the length of life. Your anxiety does nothing good
for you whatsoever. It adds nothing to the length of your life. In fact, if anything it shortens it. Dr Charles
Mayo, of the famous Mayo Clinic, wrote, “Worry affects the circulation, the heart, the glands and the
whole nervous system. I have never met a man or known a man to die of overwork, but I have known a
lot who died of worry.” Worry is foolish because it brings no benefit.

The Little Faith of Worry

A second reason that it is foolish to be anxious is that it demonstrates that we are “men of little faith”
just as Jesus says at the end of verse 30. That leads into verses 31 & 32 in which Jesus says, “Do not be
anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe
ourselves?’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need
all these things.”
Your anxiety level is a good indicator of how much you really trust the Lord. It seems incredible, but we
seem to have an easier time trusting that God will save our souls from Hell because of what Jesus has
done for us on the cross than to trust that He will provide for our daily needs. Part of that is because
dealing with what will happen to our souls after death is far removed from our daily lives. That is an
intangible item far in the future, or at least we live as if it is far in the future. The truth is that death
could come at anytime. When it comes to what we eat and what we wear, those are tangible items we
deal with daily on a personal level. They are the real indicators of your trust in the Lord.

We know that God knows our needs. We saw that some weeks ago when were studying the section
earlier in this chapter in which Jesus deals with prayer. He tells us in Matthew 6:8 that God knows our
needs before we even ask in prayer. We can pray with confidence. We should have that same
confidence that God will provide for us. (See: The Proper Purpose & Practice of Prayer).

We have all heard a hundred stories of how God has met this person’s or that person’s need. Most of us
have seen this in our own lives as well. Diane and I certainly have. When I have needed a job, God has
consistently supplied the work. One time we had a large medical bill come in marked, “paid in full”
which neither we nor the hospital could explain, but they considered the bill paid. We have had
anonymous people give us money just when a bill was due. Eleven years ago I went to Australia as part
of a missions team. I did not have the money to go, so Diane and I prayed about it. I had people I had
not heard from in years write and say they wanted to do something special for me, did I have any
suggestions? Many of you can recount similar stories. We know that God will meet the needs we have.
Sometimes it will be through gifts by relatives or friends or even strangers, sometimes through an
opportunity to earn some extra money, sometimes by His graciousness in allowing us to stretch our
funds out to incredible lengths. (One thing I have learned beyond a shadow of a doubt over the years, is
that the amount left over after giving to the Lord goes a whole lot further than if I had kept the whole
amount for myself).

But even with all of this as a background, my faith can weaken and in my humanness I can start doubting
if the Lord will continue to provide. It is precisely at that time that I need to remind myself of the truths
Jesus teaches here and get my eyesight focused on the right object again. The Gentiles, here used simply
as a reference to those people that do not know God, the heathen, are anxious and seek after what they
will eat and drink and what they will clothe themselves with. Jesus tells me that my heavenly Father
already knows my need. I do not need to have my thoughts pre-occupied with those things. God already
knows my need.

The Cure for Anxiety

The Cure for Anxiety is simply, but logically stated in Matthew 6:33. “But seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Those that do not know God spend their time being pre-occupied with seeking after food & drink &
clothing. Those who know God are to be pre-occupied with God’s Kingdom and God’s righteousness. If
we will seek after those first, then Jesus says here that God will supply the other things that we have
need of. The cure for anxiety then is simply to seek after what God wants and let Him take care of you.
You can then rest in His loving care knowing that He will provide for you. If your mind is occupied with
Him, then it can not be occupied with the things of this world.

This is simple in theory, but it can be very difficult to do because of the pressure the world tries to place
on us. We look around us and see people with a higher standard of living than our own, and we feel
pressure to try to achieve the same. We look for ways to make more money so that we can get the
things other people have. When we no not have our focus on the Lord, then we succumb to the
pressure and in pursuit of what we covet we work longer hours, send the wife to work, take on high
pressure jobs, and lower our standard of business ethics. We want people to be impressed with what we
have and how we look including the house we live in, the car we drive, the kind of dinner parties we can
prepare, and the clothes we wear. Our minds become preoccupied with the things of this world and we
start becoming anxious. And once a standard of living is achieved, we do not want it to go down, so the
same cycle can start again. We will then do whatever is necessary to maintain our lifestyle. We become
concerned about the future and we start to worry. What will happen if . . . I must prepare for that by . . .

What a difference if I obey God and then rest on His promises. If keep my focus correct and seek God’s
kingdom and God’s righteousness first, then God’s promise is that He will take care of my needs.
Therefore I have no fear of the future. I have no anxiety for my treasure is in heaven and God is my
security for the present and the future.

That is what Matthew 6:34 is speaking about – the future. “Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow;
for tomorrow will care for itself, Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Worry is the preoccupation in
the present with the fear of what may take place in the future. There is nothing wrong with having
contingency plans. We need to plan ahead, but we must not become pre-occupied and fearful of the
future. The future is in the hands of God, and we may never make it there anyway. We need to live for
God in the present and not live for ourselves fearing the future.

Seeking First God’s Kingdom & Righteousness

But let me emphasize that God’s promise to take care of us is conditional. We must seek first His
kingdom and His righteousness. If you are not doing that then there is no promise and you will have
good reason to fear the future. So the question that still must be addressed is, “What does it mean to
seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness?”

It means that at every point in my life I will view things in light of what it will do to expand the kingdom
of God and reflect His perfect righteousness. The pre-occupation of my mind are the things of God and
not my own kingdom or pleasure.

Standard of Living

Let me give you a few areas to consider. What is your standard of living and why is it at that level?
Remember, Scripture is not against having material possessions for many of the righteous (Job,
Abraham, David, etc.), were very rich. Scripture is against loving those possessions over God. What are
you doing to keep that standard of living at its present level? How do those actions things fit in with the
kingdom of God? Are your activities helping expand the kingdom? Are they reflective of God’s
righteousness? Let me be more pointed. American society is going increasingly to longer hours, two
jobs, and double incomes not primarily because we must, but in order to keep the standard of living
high. What sacrifices are made and what are their effects on the kingdom of God? Is the spiritual welfare
of the family compromised? Not just the children, but the husband-wife relationship as well? Do you
have time left to use your spiritual gifts? Some can handle the pressure better than others, but all of us
need to think through the issue of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness verses our
standard of living.