Bird-watching

Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

Matthew 6:26-27

JESUS WAS (AND IS) THE MASTER TEACHER. Though not always easy to understand—He often spoke in parables—His words are always memorable. They always make us think. They usually challenge us to believe more, to exercise our faith more, and to trust Him more despite what we may see or feel.

His teaching in Matthew 6:25-34 about the cure for anxiety is a brilliant example of this. The whole passage is an antidote to worry, which can be one of our most persistent temptations and struggles. Among the components of Jesus’ argument is a beautiful analogy between God’s care for the birds and His care for us. He poses the rhetorical question: “Aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” The answer, of course, is yes, we are. The inescapable conclusion is that because God takes care of the birds (the lesser), He certainly will take care of His precious people (the greater). Besides, as Jesus points out, worrying will not do us a bit of good anyway.

Instead of worrying, Jesus says, we should “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33). Will we believe Him? Are we willing to live a worry-free life, trusting God to take care of us? Sometimes a little bird-watching can be good for your faith.

BOTTOM LINE

Worry seems so reasonable. So human. It may even seem necessary. But it’s not—at least not according to Jesus. Pray for the grace to believe Him.

Moment of Strength: Matthew 6:25-34