A modern poet described the time we live in as an “age of anxiety.” Our lives have only become more anxious, in part because the world has become characterized by the need for “more.” Advertising and information flood our senses and emotions, so when it comes to material goods, enough seems to be just out of reach.
We may think this is unique to our lifetime, but is it? In Luke 12, Jesus’ assessment of His audience could have been written today. “Do not worry about your life,” He says. Specifically, He says not to be concerned about where food and clothing will come from. He urges us to consider the birds and the lilies—if God feeds them and clothes the grass of the field so gloriously, He will certainly provide for our needs!
What Jesus says may at first sound naïve to our ears—we know that food and clothing don’t appear out of thin air. Unless we work hard, we won’t have what we need.
But Jesus’ teaching isn’t a license for laziness. It’s an invitation to work as only God’s children can. Thinking that our work alone will provide for our needs is a wrong view of God and His kingdom. Jesus says, “[Our] Father has chosen to give [us] the kingdom” (v. 32). If we can see Him as a loving Father who is able and willing to provide all we need, we can trade fear and anxiety about our life for patience and trust.
And that’s the memo.
By InTouch Ministries
