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And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
There are probably 100 sermons in this scripture, and just Sunday I preached on eight lessons from this text about how to be freed from anxiety.
And while we obviously need to consider clothing and food on a daily basis, it's safe to say that the basic premise is, God will take care of us, and not to chase after things as if there is no tomorrow.
Life throws many things at us that can cause anxiety or excessive worry. I need only to think of my daughters and the different seasons of their life, for the memories of worrying about them to come flooding back. Entrusting them to school bus drivers and teachers, dealing with friend problems and bullies when they were older, driving, dating and then eventually grown-up problems. Even when they gave birth to my grandchildren, I was a nervous wreck. No matter the age, children can be a source of anxiety!
When I turned 50, I found something new to be anxious about: retirement. I was reminded of this scripture, yet I still spent far too much time planning and pushing my pencil. I am still trying to find the balance between working, planning and trusting, and have not yet found the perfect solution. But I know God has it, and I can trust in Him.
So, how can you apply this scripture to this season of your life?
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Finding Faith is written by area pastors. This week's column comes from Pastor Sue Wilson Radel of Forest Baptist Church.