Worry

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Matthew 6:34 (NASB)

I am not sure upon initially reading this verse that it is that much of an encouragement.  After all it ends with a reminder of the trouble that we will have in each day.  Don't worry about tomorrow because there is enough to worry about today does not sound all that uplifting!  And yet when we understand the context, we see the great encouragement.

You see, Matthew has just recorded the words of Jesus that says that God will care for our daily needs.  He has stated it in the prayer that Jesus teaches the disciples in verse 11.  He has stated it in verse 30 when He reminded us that God cares for us.  So we can know with confidence that God is going to care for our daily needs, and that is where we really find the encouragement.  We don't need to worry about tomorrow because we don't need to worry about today because both are in the hands of our Sovereign God. 

But this is only good news for us if we use this knowledge to do what God has called us to do.  You see, worrying about tomorrow or today is set in contrast to something in the passage.  We are also told that this type of anxiety is common to mankind and that we as believers should do something different with our anxiety.  We seek something other than freedom from worry.  This is interesting because most of us probably have some anxiety, and most of us wish we did not have anxiety.  But fixing anxiety is not as simple as doing better.  It is not about practice, it is about refocussing.  It is about reminding ourselves that God is great.  And, the secret to freedom from anxiety is given to us by Jesus himself in the book of Matthew in verse 33 of this same chapter.

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."  Matthew 6:33 (NASB)

The secret to anxiety free living is simply to change what you seek.  If you seek freedom from anxiety, you will not find it.  But if you seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of God you will find freedom from anxiety as well as being able to better see the care of God for you.  So today make a commitment to yourself to seek God first.  And when you do, believe that the freedom from anxiety will be a natural result of your commitment to God first.