Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Matthew 6:33
It’s Useless
At the end of Matthew chapter 6, Jesus was trying to teach His disciples about worry. They, like many of us, were fixated on the things of this world and worried about their needs being met so Jesus uses the birds of the air to teach them a lesson that God takes care of the birds of the air and they “neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they” (Matt 6:26) so “which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life” (Matt 6:27)? The answer is we can do nothing to add a single hour to our life so worry is useless.
It’s Harmful
Studies have proven that worry doesn’t solve anything at all but it’s actually harmful to our health. Worry increases the chance for high blood pressure, disease, sickness, and even cancer, so worry is not only useless, it is harmful because it does nothing to solve any problem, but in fact, creates additional problems like health concerns and even shorten our life.
It’s Pointless
We know that worry or anxiety is useless, but it’s also harmful to us, and it’s also pointless to because if we’re worried about things we have no control over, why take this heavy load upon ourselves when we can cast every burden upon Him and take His yoke and find rest. This is why Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30).
It Pulls Us
What I mean by saying, “It pulls us” is that anxiety pulls us away from our primary mission of seeking “first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt 6:33). Anxiety makes us be the center of our own universe, while trust puts God in that rightful place. It pulls us away from trust and from God because it’s impossible to please God without at least a small amount of faith (Rom 8:8; Heb 11:6).
Conclusion
If we seek the kingdom first, meaning we are seeking the King of the kingdom first, we’ll discover that worry or anxiety is useless, that it’s harmful, that it’s pointless, and that it pulls us away from our trust in God, so trust Him to meet your needs. He is worthy of that trust, isn’t He?
