Luke 12:22-34 (ESV)

²² And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁶ If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. ³⁰ For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. ³² “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Jesus had just explained to the crowd around him the folly, even sin, of putting their confidence in their possessions. He continued his sermon by teaching the disciples where they should put their trust as he described how to respond to anxiety. He began by explaining to them that they shouldn’t be anxious about food or clothing because these aren’t the ends of life. Just as God takes care of the birds, he will take care of us. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we stop working. The birds continue to work for food, but they don’t worry that it won’t be there. Jesus added that worry is useless and helps nothing. He reminded them of how God beautifully clothes the flowers. He is in control of even the grass! He will take care of us too. In verse 29, Jesus tells his followers not to worry about food or clothing for a second time. The word for “worried” in verse 29 is an interesting one in the Greek. It isn’t used anywhere else in the New Testament. It literally means “to hover between hope and fear.” The word pictures the woman who goes from one extreme to the other. We need to stop. Let’s not act like those who don’t have a God in the heavens watching out for them. That’s what Jesus said (v. 30). Instead, we are to keep seeking God’s kingdom. He will bring us the security and freedom from anxiety that we long for.

Jesus ended by teaching the disciples how they could gain riches and treasure that would never go away. When we use our resources to benefit others, we are storing up eternal wealth. He closed with a statement defining priorities. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  Who we are and what we think is reflected by what we do with our time, our money, and the extent to which we “stress out” about things. As followers of Jesus, we are to battle against our tendency to worry, because worry reveals a distrust in God’s ability to provide and care for us. Anxiety reflects a self-focus, while generosity reflects a focus on God and others. If you are battling spiritual anxiety today, stop and ask God to help you trust him more than ever before, even in the midst of circumstances that may be telling you the opposite.