Jesus continues to provide evidence for His command: Do not worry. Thanks to this command, as Christians, we can live free from anxiety and free from worries. This is because we believe in God Almighty who has no worries. He is our faithful Father and if He does not worry then His children have no need to worry either.
Six principles to be free from worry. We will cover three of them today.
Knowledge matters. You must know what worry is and that worrying is useless. If you keep worrying, instead of helping you, it eventually becomes poisonous. To be worry-free, you must realize there is nothing worry can really do. Jesus says, “And which of you by worrying can add a single cubit to his life span? Therefore, if you cannot do even a very little thing…” Worry cannot add to or lengthen anyone’s life span. People are living longer these days but no matter how disciplined or healthy you are you cannot determine when you die and prevent your death when your time is up (Deuteronomy 34:7). No amount of anxiety can extend one’s life beyond what God has determined. Our life is not under our control but God’s (Luke 12:20). At the pinnacle of your life, if God deems it, he can demand your soul. All our days are ordained before we are even born (Psalms 139:16). So you don’t have to worry because there is nothing worry can do.
“Why do you worry about other matters?” When you start worrying about one thing, it will spread into other matters. Worry starts focusing on small matters and brings you down (Proverb 4:23;12:25). Stress and anxiety cause many health issues in our generation, even acting as a catalyst for cancer. Worry has zero nutritional value. It’s harmful. So do not be friends with worry. As a Christian, worry is your enemy.
Thinking matters. To prove His point, Jesus asks us to “Consider the lilies, how they grow”. He is telling us to think in a particular way. Consider is the keyword (Luke 12:24). It means to observe and think carefully to gain understanding. What are we to consider? How God cares for the lilies in the best way even though they don’t do anything. There are flowers everywhere in all parts of the world. Why do those flowers still grow and bloom and display their beauty though they don’t worry or labor at all. Because God shamelessly provides everything they need to bloom beautifully. Their beauty is greater than Solomon, the most wealthy and extravagant king in all of history.
So Jesus rhetorically asks, “How much more will he clothe you?” Humans are different than plants or animals. Man was created in God’s image with a great purpose (Genesis 1:27-28). God values people more than anything else in creation. Believers are not second-class citizens or slaves. Believers are special, they belong to Him, bought by the sacrifice of His only beloved Son. That’s how precious we are in God’s eyes. God loves us and saved us (Romans 8:32). Jesus says, if you think about how much God cares for us than lilies, then we have no need to worry. Consider the fact that you are in Christ. Lilies have nothing to do with Christ, but you are in Christ. That’s the difference of “how much more”. That’s why Paul can say to die is gain. Whatever happens, consider you are in Christ. When you begin to worry, remember you are in the Lord. Reflect on your spiritual status. You are a Christian who is in Christ! Whatever happens is caused by God for our good. We can trust Jesus without worry.
Faith Matters. Faith is the best deterrent against anxiety. “How much more will He clothe you?” This is God’s fundamental promise to every believer. God will provide what you need (Luke 10:4, 22:35). This promise is echoed in Psalms 37:25. “I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread”. Jesus pinpoints the source of our worry. “You of little faith.” Little faith means small faith. It’s not no faith but it is little faith. These are believers who fail to display their faith outwardly. Though they have faith, it is a faith that is not practiced or tested.
By faith we know who God is and how to please Him and seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). God is known and pleased by Jesus Christ. Therefore Jesus Christ is the only object of our faith.
Characteristics of little faith
- Ignorant of God (little knowledge of God and His word). Lots of assumptions about who God is.
- God seems smaller than their issues. God seems weaker than men (Numbers 13:2). This causes us to be too embarrassed to act on faith. Genuine faith is not blind faith but faith that stands on the word of God. The Bible teaches us who God is and what He says. Faith believes and acts on God’s word.
- Tries to handle things on their own. Even though Jesus is always with us, near us, and able to help us, instead of relying on Jesus, we rely on ourselves. Turning to Jesus for big and small needs is not shameful but being faithful (Mark 4:37,40). God doesn’t want you to handle as much as you can by yourself and only turn to him when you fail. That’s not how faith works. From the beginning faith acts in obedience (Hebrews 11:8).
Great faith sees Jesus clearly in the darkest situations. Peter could see it was Jesus walking on the water during the raging storm. Even in the darkest circumstances, faith places its trust in Jesus. When the situation gets tougher, Jesus must be closer. Fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Don’t look at anyone or anything else. Why do you worry? You have lost sight of Jesus. Does Jesus change? Does Jesus grow weak? Is he far away? Of course not. We must seek Him diligently, especially in His word. Spend time with Jesus in meditation and prayer. This is the proven way of faith.
Conclusion
Three things to be free from worry. Worrying is useless and worrying will not change anything. Think about God’s care for you and how much He loves you. Have faith and look to Jesus. Then instead of worrying we will know the will of God for us. New time, three more points about being worry-free.
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