Luke 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Don’t Worry About the Wrong Things
It is interesting to look back at what you worried about five, ten, or even thirty years ago. Sometimes those worries have changed; sometimes they are the same. Sometimes they have gotten bigger, and sometimes smaller. I distinctly remember all the anguish third-grade homework put me through. You wouldn’t think it would be a big deal, but it was. It seems that I should have bigger worries now, but I honestly don’t feel like I am any more worried now than when I was trying to negotiate third-grade homework.
Luke 12 talks about the things that we should fear, the things that we should not fear, the things that we should seek, the things that we should consider, and the things after which we should go. It is quite interesting because we find a stark contrast between the things we tend to worry about and the things that God thinks that we should find important.
For instance, in verses 4-7, Jesus tells us both to fear and to fear not. Well, what should we fear? He says in verse 4, “Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” Then it says that God doesn’t even forget the sparrows that were sold for a couple farthings. We are worth a lot more to God than birds; so fear not.
We spend our time worrying about people, when we should have a reverence and a fear of God. When I fear God, I need fear no one else. When I am in a restaurant and it is time to thank God for the food, am I more concerned about what God knows or what people think? There is a fear and a fear not there. I need to fear God and not worry about what people will think.
Verse 15 says, “Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Jesus told a story about a man who was more absorbed in what he had than in who he was. Jesus ended that story by saying, “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.”
There is more to life than food and clothing. We so often worry about the things that God will provide. God says, “Consider the ravens.” God takes care of them, and you are better than them. Can you add a day to your life or an inch to your height by worrying about it? No. Then why worry about the rest?
Then Jesus says, “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not.” Oftentimes, we are worried about food and clothing when we should be concerned about the kingdom of God, things that are eternal and everlasting.
The bottom line is that we trivialize the life God gave us when we worry about the wrong things. We are not to worry about anything, but we are to be seeking, considering, and pursuing the things that matter to the Lord Jesus, the things that will last into eternity. Don’t trivialize this life by worrying about things that God can provide, and don’t come to the doorstep of eternity flat-footed because you paid no heed to the things God thinks are important.