25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!

So much of life is taken up by food and clothing. Think about the hours spent in grocery shopping, meal preparation, drink selection, eating out, clothes shopping, thinking about what you will wear on any given day, how it will look, etc. How big is your wardrobe? How many pairs of shoes do you own? Where on the anxiety meter do you fall when thinking about these things? Jesus gently reminds His disciples (and us) of true priorities.

First, He reasons with the law of proportion, that life is far more important than food, drink or clothing. Earlier we were told to simply place our needs before Him, with “Give us this day our daily bread.” That should be the end of our worry, and other things should occupy way more of our concern.

Second, the law of comparison. Since God cares for lesser entities (like birds and flowers), He will care for us who are created in His image. In fact, He attends to His creation quite well with all His artistry and resourcefulness.

Third, the law of futility. Our anxiety will not do us much good in terms of our life experience or length. It is true that taking no care for our physical well-being portends irresponsibility, but Jesus addresses the opposite extreme, that of worry about those things we can do nothing about. Simply put, much of life is beyond our control—so why waste the energy with anxiety?

Fourth, the law of example. God compares Solomon as an example of the minimum of God’s care for His people. God’s care for us exceeds such outward finery. Just look at the beauty of flowers for a sampling of God’s level of care.

Fifth, the law of value. The floral world displays its beauty, then dies. But we humans live forever – how could we think that God would not take care of us? Where is our faith?

Father, forgive me for doubting Your care in my life. I have foolishly been too focused on outward things. I turn my worry and anxiety over to You.