Summary
Replacing Worry
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses worry directly and three times tells us plainly to stop: "do not worry about your life" Matthew 6:25, "do not worry" Matthew 6:31, and "do not worry about tomorrow" Matthew 6:34. The popular advice to set aside a daily "worry time" misses the point entirely. God's word is far more gracious and freeing: He commands us not to worry at all, and then tells us what to do instead.
Jesus presses His command home with three pointed questions. If the heavenly Father feeds the birds of the air, are you not of more value than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And if God so clothes the lilies of the field, will He not much more clothe you, you of little faith? The "little faith" Jesus names is the failure to trust that God will provide. That is why one writer calls worry "prayer in reverse," and another calls it "temporary atheism." At its heart, worry quietly suggests that God is not on His throne, not sovereign, not good. Luther's tongue-in-cheek counsel captures the cure: "Pray and let God worry." In other words, God's got it; you don't have to grip so tight.
Because worry is sin, it is not dealt with until it is confessed. We are tempted to baptize it with more acceptable language—"I'm not worried, I'm just deeply concerned"—but that only hides what is really distrust of God's character and care. Brought into the light, our worry meets the blood of Christ, who bore even this sin on the cross. The word spoken over the penitent is the word that frees: I forgive you. In Matthew 6:31–32 Jesus notes that it is the Gentiles—the unbelievers, the pagans—who strive after these anxious questions; your heavenly Father knows what you need. If God has already provided eternity for you in Christ, He will surely provide what you need this side of heaven.
Then comes the worry replacement: "Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness" Matthew 6:33. The word translated "first" can also be rendered "only"—not first in a list of priorities that easily get jumbled, but the single, defining pursuit. Through Holy Baptism, God has already claimed us as members of His kingdom and promised never to let us go. He has given faith, and He sustains it. Now, by His grace, we cooperate with Him, striving for His reign and rule over every area of life. That is the active replacement for worry: not anxious gripping, but trusting, "Lord, You reign over all of my life. You hold every blink and every beat. I trust You."
Finally, Jesus says, "do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today" Matthew 6:34. The translation is simple: one day at a time. Not a scheduled appointment with anxiety, but a life lived inside God's promises—a worry-free zone secured by the One who has already secured your salvation. For more, see Replacing Worry 10-22-23.
Video citations
- Replacing Worry 10-22-23 — Would your open your Bible's please with me to the sixth chapter of the gospel of Saint Matthew for our study today? We're using a Pewadition of Holy Scripture. You're going to find that in the New…