Over this last year, I’ve made some pretty big decisions in my life: medical school timeline, job prospects, my role in my communities, and much more. Yet through this, I’ve been given some constant reminders throughout the last few months, and I wanted to write them down (note, these are some of my interpretations, so feel free to have different ones).
A little context: this section comes from a bigger collection of teachings by Jesus called ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ where He sat on a mountainside with a crowd and spoke about moral teachings. These teachings outline Jesus’s vision for how people should live their lives, how to be loving and compassionate, forgiving and humble, and to live a life of just motivations and righteousness.
Here, He has a couple of verses under the heading “Do Not Worry.”
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34
As I reflect on all the changes that have happened in my life, the uncertainties and stresses of being a university student, this message stands out to me. It talks about the birds in the sky and the way that they aren’t as complex as humans, yet they are still provided for within nature. Drawing a comparison, humans are so much more complex, and in Christianity, we are literally adopted into His family as a child of God, where we are uniquely made in His image (in our abilities to have qualities like humor, love, intuition, purpose, etc.), assigned with the role to be stewards of the Earth. So, if we are “above” the birds, and the birds are so well cared for, how much more does He care for us? This is followed up with flowers and grass of the field, each of which is beautifully clothed and loved by Him; so how much more could He love us? To put it simply, if the “less complex” nature is so loved, why should I worry whether God cares and prepares for me? Therefore, should I worry?
I think verse 27 hits the nail on the head, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Honestly, does worrying really benefit us? Then, this section ends with verse 34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” I would like to point out, though, that this doesn’t mean that it is wrong to plan or have concerns; it is in our nature that our bodies react to protect us. No, it is about overthinking the planning and being able to be flexible with changes that may come, where there is power in realizing that not everything can be controlled. In this case, concern is about the present, while worrying is often about the unknown future, the things outside our influence. Although it may be difficult to imagine, this scripture affirms that you are loved and will always be provided for, even when it doesn’t seem like it.
Recently, I heard a song called “Joy in the Morning” by Elevation Worship and Tauren Wells. The verse goes, “If it’s not good, then He’s not done/No He’s not done with it yet/ [because] there will be joy in the morning.” I think it stuck with me because oftentimes, it is an assumption that if I’m Christian, then there shouldn’t be bad things or difficult things happening in my life. Yet I think it is the opposite; if anything, Christianity provides a lens or scope to see and process the world. Difficult things still occur, but my faith in God is what allows me to overcome and go through the challenges with confidence that He will walk alongside me through it all.
I find retrospective thinking helpful in reflecting on the times that I thought the world was ending, yet I’m still here, and how great life is. Therefore, I think no matter who or what you believe, it’s good to have reminders to slow down a little, for there will always be someone who loves you, whether God, family, or friends. Besides, I like to occasionally humble myself with an “it’s not that serious” reflection when I’m stressing; it’s grounded me immensely, being that I am a very anxious individual. Therefore, through this passage, I think there is something in there that teaches a lesson on being kinder to our emotional selves, to calm the unnecessary worrying, and to find peace in the constant changes of this world.