Consider The Birds

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?

Wooed by His Love

God is always wooing us with His unfailing love. He lavishes us with His reckless love that we do not deserve, though we are made to receive it. He is our Pursuer and He loves to romance us with all that He is and all that we are in Him. A mentor of mine once brought to my attention the truth that God woos us because He is our Beloved and we are His.

One of the many ways that He woos me with His love is through the birds. I smile when I see them. In Matthew 6 Jesus tells us not to worry about our lives, not to worry about what we will eat or drink or about our bodies and what we will wear. Indeed, our lives are more than food, and our bodies are more than clothes. With compassion, He simply encourages us and says to look at the birds that fly in the air; they don’t plant food or save it for later, but still our heavenly Father feeds them. “Are you not much more valuable than they?” He asks. By worrying we do not add a single hour to our lives (verses 25-27). I have been walking before and have seen birds flying above, and I have begun to cry in joy and gratitude, knowing that God was reminding me that He is the One who takes care of me. Because He is not worried, I do not need to worry.

Seek Him First

Jesus’ statement that we should not worry is not simply a suggestion or an opinion—it is a command that He is giving us. Jesus commands us not to worry because to worry means to take our eyes off of the One who is our Provider, and it is to stop seeking Him first. This is why He continues, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). He knows that when we seek Him first, we will experience His peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). You cannot have both peace and worry at the same time.

Jesus said in John 14:27 that He has given us His peace and He has left it with us. He does not “give to [us] as the world gives,” therefore we shall not “let [our] hearts be troubled.” The peace Jesus is talking about can only come from seeking Him first. God tells us not to worry about anything. If He takes care of the birds, won’t He also take care of us, who are so much more valuable to Him? In order to walk in this peace, we must seek the Giver of peace first in all circumstances.

Let Peace Rule

In Colossians 3:15, we are told to “let the peace of Christ rule in [our] hearts” because we are “members of one body” and “called to peace.” What a beautiful thing to be called to! What a wonderful thing to be ruled by. When someone rules, that person has authority and declares what actions are taken and what actions are not taken. When we worry, we are choosing to reject the rule of peace, but Jesus is our Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and we must let Him rule.

Next time you see a bird, I pray that you will laugh because the heavenly Father is wooing you in His love and leading you to remember that it is silly to worry. He is your Provider, and in Him alone you “lack no good thing” (Psalm 34:10). He cares for you, and He did not send His one and only Son to die for you so that you would live a life of worry. He came so that you may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). You can cast all of your cares and anxieties on Him “because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). “He will sustain you” and promises that He will never permit the righteous to be shaken (Psalm 55:22). So beloved one, consider the birds today (Matthew 6:26).