Fear and anxiety are two things that seem to plague our culture today. I feel like every time I turn around I hear of another person who is struggling with them. I have often asked myself why it is so prevalent and why it’s so difficult to move past it but reading Matthew chapter six reveals that it’s really not a new concept at all.
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
-Matthew 28-34
Jesus was giving the Sermon on the Mount over 2,000 years ago and addressing the very same thing that we are dealing with now. We humans have a tough time trusting anyone else. I often hear people make comments like, “No one will look out for you like you look out for you,” We put up walls and feel the need to look out for ourselves because of our lack of trust.
We feel the need to “store up treasure” for ourselves and worry about what tomorrow will bring. We view God as we do humans and not as the holy and sovereign God. We struggle to trust Him, Jesus mentions the lilies of the field and God clothing the grass showing us that God provides clothes and food for nature. He designed things like the water cycle, the food chain, pollination, etc. Why would we ever worry about Him taking care of us when He actually breathed His breath inside of us?
While this is not a new struggle for humans, it is also not a struggle that is likely to go away. We will continue to question whether or not God will do what He says He will do because we are sinful creatures. Thankfully, God has given us so many things to remind us of His promises and provision and we combat the feelings of anxiety and fear by looking to Him. We remind our soul of who He is every time we see the flower that was clothed in beauty or the rain that God designed to give life.
-Kelsey Turner