6. Matthew 6:25-34: Jesus on money teaches us not to worry

This is the sixth post that I will be undertaking over the next 2 weeks in which we will be looking at everything (pretty much!) Jesus said about money in the gospels. In order to do this I will be putting up two posts each day. This is coinciding with a 2-week preaching series that we going through at Community Church Putney- Jesus On Giving.

What is worry? It’s a rehearsing of all the possible ways that something could and is likely (in your head!) to go wrong:

"That cheque won’t clear in time to pay the mortgage... we won’t have enough to buy food next month... If the car goes wrong we won’t be able to fix it... If I lose my job I’m stuffed…"

Worry says "what if…”, faith says “He is…"

Worry is an equation like this: Potential problem + time = bad problem

Faith is an equation like this: Potential problem + God = solution

Jesus on money teaches us not to worry; He knows that we have genuine needs and He has our back!

Jesus taught, 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

 “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. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Jesus on money teaches us that Instead of worrying we are to do something positive,  “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Worry paralyses us- "How can I do anything, how can I think of anyone else, how can I give generously,  if this might happen!" 

Seeking the kingdom and His righteousness is to seek to do His will each day, no matter what the problem, how? By faith- resting in God’s love and faithfulness.

Some people see a river that they need to cross and sit down in despair and worry; some people see the river and make a bridge.

If you have financial challenges, don’t sit down in despair and worry! We build a bridge -God has promised to meet our needs- as we do what He calls us to do today and each day- as we, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”

So, are you worrying? Are you rehearsing all the things that could go wrong in this or that? Let’s rehearse, meditate on and believe Jesus’ story of a person who was in dire financial needs, they didn’t have enough to eat or cloth themselves; never the less, they did Jesus’ will each day and He met their needs. 

Take a moment to ask God to search you: What does God want you do do with your time and your money? What areas of your character does He want you do work on? As you seek to do these things, He has promised to meet your needs!