³¹ “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ ³² For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Anxiety and stress seem to be hallmarks of our 21^st century days. Work, family, relatives, the economy, health, international conflicts—all bring various levels of fretting. Self-survival mode also is at work in the smaller things, the daily “necessities” of life, things we just can’t seem to live without, like our food and clothing selection. The multitude of options can be over-whelming. We have choices between five brands of cereal, each having many varieties of flavors, textures, vitamin supplements and calorie counts. Toilet paper comes in multiplied options, plies, textures, designs and even scents. Clothing fashions change every year, most of the time only slightly, the oh-so-important slight widening or narrowing of the pant legs, the change in width of a lapel, men’s shirts to be tucked in or left out, just the right color of shoe to go with a certain outfit, the ruffle in just the right place, plaid or polka dot or stripes, pastels or bolds, slim or full or relaxed fit, crew or turtle or v-neck, full-size or petite, and the list goes on and on with innumerable choices.

Jesus tells His disciples to get beyond the “small stuff” and focus on the big picture, the Kingdom of God. Otherwise a person can be consumed with worry. God knows we need the basics of life, and certainly we are told elsewhere in Scripture that we do have responsibilities to work and not be lazy, to provide for our needs (see for example 1 Tim 5:8, 1 Thess 4:8, 2 Thess 3:10-12, Acts 20:34).  And true, life will never be without its pressures and concerns. But the only way to keep those things at bay is to keep God’s plan and purposes in the forefront of our lives. Jesus speaks of our ultimate priorities, and this is key to life in a busy, pressurized world.

Lord, thank You that You care for my smallest needs.  Since I don’t have to worry about those things, I am free to follow Your will in my life.