Why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? Matthew 6:27-30

 

It’s a waste of time but do we ever spend a lot of time doing it.

A poet once admitted, “I worried a lot.”

“Will the garden grow, will the rivers flow in the right direction, will the earth turn as it was taught, and if not how shall I correct it?” The poem gives us a picture of our downward spiral of worry. One worry leads to another, making us feel increasingly helpless and despairing. But the poem ends with this line: “Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing. And gave it up. And took my old body and went out into the morning and sang”.[1]

If only, we too, could just give up the habit of worry. Suddenly, we’d make space for beauty, joy, and gratitude. Casting aside pointless worrying frees up reserves of creativity and energy because we can live in and enjoy the moment.

The Bible book of Matthew records what Jesus said to His followers about the waste of worrying. He asked them, “Why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you” (Matthew 6:27-30).

Your future may remain uncertain and your present messy or chaotic, but there’s beauty to be enjoyed right where you are. At this moment and tomorrow, God says that He will certainly care for you and supply all that you need. Don’t miss today worrying about tomorrow.

[1] Oliver, Mary. Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver. Penguin Books, 2020, p. 59.