Stop Worrying, But Seek First His Kingdom and His Righteousness

I am learning through personal experience what worrying and stress can do to you. It is amazing how we let ourselves worry about things we cannot control. As a fifty-one year old man, I know that we all will die someday. I mean, when you are young, you may think about it, but you believe you have so many years ahead of you. Death and disease can happen to any of us suddenly. We have all had our taste of death, disease and pain. None of them are pretty. Why is it important not to worry about everything that happens to us or around us in each of our lives? Listen to what Jesus says;

Matthew 6:25-34New International Version (NIV)

Do Not Worry

25 “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? 26 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? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 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? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Honestly, I have worried my entire life about things I cannot control. Yes, I had a bad childhood and no direction, but I also lacked faith in God to provide. I always asked God to provide, to protect and for good health, but I did not trust Him or have faith in Him.

Last night, this verse was going through my mind the entire time I was sleeping. Yes, I was sleeping, but I woke up remembering what Jesus tells us in The New Testament. There is no reason to worry because we do not have the power we may think we have to control every aspect of our lives. 

So what should we do instead of worrying? That's pretty simple and some of us make it harder than it has to be. Jesus wants each of to seek The Kingdom of God first and His righteousness. That means, He wants us to live our lives as faithful Christians, trusting in Him in every aspect of our lives. If we do that, He will take care of the rest. Instead of spending the rest of my life worrying, it's time to pray and put my faith in God.

First Peter 5:6-7 says, Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.