Latest / Reformed Thinking / Do Not Be Anxious about the Necessities of Daily Life | John Piper
Transcript
- 0:00Hello and welcome to the Deep Dive.
- 0:01This is the show where we take source material and really try
- 0:05to distill it, get to the core insights that help you grasp
- 0:08what truly matters. And today we're taking a close
- 0:11look at something vital for, well, pretty much all of us
- 0:15Anxiety, yeah. It really is universal.
- 0:16Specifically, we're examining Jesus teachings, his words on
- 0:20how to live free from worry about the daily necessities.
- 0:24You know, the stuff of life. It's a topic that hits home,
- 0:26doesn't it? That sort of unease about
- 0:28tomorrow, or maybe even just dinner tonight.
- 0:30It's certainly WS and our source material for this deep dive.
- 0:33It comes from John Piper's insights on Matthew chapter 6.
- 0:36Specifically, verses 25 through 34 is from his work All That
- 0:40Jesus Commanded. OK, And this passage, it's
- 0:43remarkable. It offers not just a clear
- 0:45command against anxiety, but it also lays out several really
- 0:48compelling reasons why his followers shouldn't give in to
- 0:51worry. It's a very liberating text when
- 0:54you dig into it. Right.
- 0:56So our mission today then is to unpack these teachings, really
- 0:59get inside them. We want to understand Jesus's,
- 1:02well, quite radical approach to anxiety.
- 1:05It is radical. And grasp how his kingship, his
- 1:09authority, actually frees us from burdens that, let's be
- 1:12honest, often feel inescapable. So the goal is that by the end
- 1:16of this, you, the listener should gain a clearer
- 1:18perspective on what truly matters and maybe discover some
- 1:21practical ways to live with a greater peace.
- 1:24Exactly. We'll consider not just what
- 1:26Jesus said, but also why it matters so much.
- 1:29We want to draw out the core principles that really stand and
- 1:33stark contrast to, you know, the ways of the world.
- 1:36And by aligning with his divine design this way he lays out,
- 1:40you'll find hopefully a more robust framework for confronting
- 1:43worry when it comes up. OK, let's let's unpack this.
- 1:46Then Jesus issues a very straightforward command right at
- 1:50the start regarding these daily worries.
- 1:52It's not just a suggestion, is it?
- 1:54It feels like a clear instruction.
- 1:55Oh. Absolutely a direct command.
- 1:57Matthew 6.25 states it plainly. Do not be anxious about your
- 2:01life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your
- 2:04body, what you will put on. Pretty comprehensive.
- 2:06It is, and then jump down to verse 34.
- 2:10Anyways, sends it to the future. Do not be anxious about
- 2:12tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
- 2:15Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
- 2:17Right deal with today. Exactly this core message, this
- 2:21command. Do not be anxious.
- 2:22It's repeated 3 times in this short passage.
- 2:25That repetition tells you something.
- 2:26It signals the weight of it. It really does.
- 2:28It sets the stage for this life. He's calling US21 free from
- 2:32worry. It's, you could say, his main
- 2:35objective in this whole section, lifting that weight of anxiety
- 2:38off his followers. So it's about the absolute
- 2:41basics, food, drink, clothes, and then that general, you know,
- 2:45apprehension we feel about what's next, what's around the
- 2:48corner, a life without anxiety over those things.
- 2:51It sounds almost, well, utopian, like something everyone wants
- 2:55but maybe feels unattainable. It can feel that way.
- 2:58And it's precisely this command, this call to freedom from
- 3:00anxiety, that sets Jesus's Kingdom completely apart from
- 3:03worldly rule. It's not just a different method
- 3:06of leadership, it's fundamentally opposite in many
- 3:08ways, a real difference in how power operates.
- 3:11OK, this is where it gets really interesting.
- 3:12I think the sources Piper's work here make a very pointed
- 3:16contrast between how earthly kings might secure their rule
- 3:20and how Jesus as king relates to this whole issue of anxiety.
- 3:24It seems so counterintuitive for a king, doesn't it, to want to
- 3:27remove anxiety. It does from a worldly
- 3:29perspective, and that's a vital distinction.
- 3:32It really sheds light on Jesus's unique character and the nature
- 3:35of his Kingdom. Historically, you look back and
- 3:38many kings, maybe even most, found it quite effective to keep
- 3:41their subjects in a state of, well, constant anxiety.
- 3:44Really. How so?
- 3:46Well, imagine a population that's always worried about
- 3:48basic survival. If people are anxious about
- 3:51where their next meal is coming from, or they'll have enough
- 3:53water, they become much more willing, naturally, to obey the
- 3:56King's commands right to receive food or supplies in the royal
- 3:59storehouse. That fear, that dependency, it
- 4:03keeps them in line. OK, it prevents dissent.
- 4:07Exactly. It makes the monarchy firm.
- 4:09Their compliance is sort of cultivated by their ongoing need
- 4:12and the King's position as the one who might meet that need.
- 4:15It creates a system built often on fear and obligation.
- 4:19So fear was a tool, a mechanism for earthly control.
- 4:24It makes a grim kind of sense, pragmatically speaking.
- 4:27But Jesus operates. Completely differently on
- 4:31another plane entirely. And this is where his kingship
- 4:34truly stands apart. One of the really great
- 4:36liberating things about Jesus is that he does not want his people
- 4:40to be anxious. He doesn't want it.
- 4:41No, the whole idea that he would somehow cultivate anxiety to
- 4:44secure his throne. It's just totally contrary to
- 4:47his nature, his purpose. In fact, the specific goal of
- 4:50his kingship is precisely the opposite, to free us from
- 4:53anxiety. How does that work then?
- 4:55If he's not using fear, what's the basis of his rule?
- 4:58Well, he doesn't need to keep us anxious to establish his
- 5:01position. Why?
- 5:03Because his authority, as Piper points out, based on Scripture,
- 5:06is described as untouchable and invincible.
- 5:09Untouchable and invincible. Yes, his status as king is
- 5:13inherent. It doesn't depend on our fear or
- 5:15our compliance or our worry. It just is.
- 5:18So instead of using fear, he displays his authority by
- 5:22actively working to take away our anxiety.
- 5:25Wow, so his power is shown in liberation, not oppression?
- 5:29Precisely. It's a liberating rule, not an
- 5:30oppressive one. It reveals His goodness, His
- 5:33divine attributes, and just how radical His Kingdom is.
- 5:36It's not of this world. As he said, it operates on
- 5:39entirely different principles. That is quite something to chew
- 5:41on. Most power structures, even ones
- 5:43that seem good, they need some kind of leverage, right?
- 5:46Usually, yes, But Jesus's authority is presented as so
- 5:50absolute, so inherent, that his very demonstration of power is
- 5:54to dismantle the burdens, the anxieties that earthly rulers
- 5:58might actually exploit. It's not just a different style,
- 6:01it's a completely inverted paradigm of kingship.
- 6:04It invites radical trust, not fearful obedience.
- 6:07That's a powerful shift in thinking.
- 6:09His rule isn't about what he can force us to do, but what he can
- 6:12free us from. If his kingship is secure
- 6:14regardless, then he doesn't need us to be small or fearful.
- 6:19Actually, it sounds like his glory is shown most when his
- 6:22people are most liberated, most free from anxiety.
- 6:25That's a great way to put it. So what are the practical
- 6:28implications then, when we're in those moments of doubt,
- 6:31uncertainty, feeling that anxiety rise?
- 6:34How does remembering his authority is untouchable and
- 6:38invincible help? Well, it should completely
- 6:40reframe our approach. If Jesus is King and his rule is
- 6:44absolutely secure, then our response ideally should be
- 6:47peace, not panic. Easier said than done sometimes.
- 6:50Oh, of course. But the truth remains.
- 6:52His absolute authority means he can genuinely take away our
- 6:55anxiety because he has zero need for us to remain in that state
- 6:59when we feel overwhelmed by worry.
- 7:01Knowing his unshakable kingship should be the anchor, the.
- 7:04Anchor. I like that.
- 7:05It means we really can cast our cares upon him, as Peter says,
- 7:08because he's not diminished by our burdens.
- 7:10He actually welcomes them precisely because his kingship
- 7:13is so strong. It's an invitation to a kind of
- 7:16rest the world simply cannot offer.
- 7:18OK, so the foundational command is negative, do not be anxious.
- 7:22But you mentioned it's balanced. What's the positive action Jesus
- 7:26points us toward? Because just not doing something
- 7:29rarely works on its own, does it?
- 7:31We need to redirect that energy somewhere.
- 7:33Exactly right. You can't just create a vacuum.
- 7:36The negative command, do not be anxious, finds its perfect
- 7:39balance in the positive command. It's right there in Matthew
- 7:426.33, which is seek first the Kingdom of God in His
- 7:45righteousness. That is the antidote to anxiety.
- 7:48It's the positive counterpoint. It transforms our whole
- 7:51approach. It's not just about stopping
- 7:53worry, but actively pursuing something much greater.
- 7:56Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness.
- 7:59So what does that look like in the nitty gritty of daily life?
- 8:02The decisions, the moments we face every single day.
- 8:04It means that when you consider any aspect of your Life OK, your
- 8:08food, your clothes, sure, but also your spouse, your job, that
- 8:11difficult task at work, a looming deadline, maybe a family
- 8:15disagreement, even your health. All the stuff that makes us
- 8:17anxious. All of it.
- 8:19You should not fret about those things.
- 8:22Instead, the call is to actively make God the King in that
- 8:26particular affair, right then, in that very moment.
- 8:29May God the King. How?
- 8:32By consciously handing over the situation to His kingly
- 8:35authority, you choose to do His righteous will in that
- 8:39situation, whatever that looks like, trusting with confidence
- 8:42that He will work for you and meet all your genuine needs.
- 8:46So it's not passive waiting, not just hoping things get better.
- 8:50Not at all. It's an active alignment with
- 8:52God's rule. It's a conscious choice to
- 8:54participate in His way of governing your life, that
- 8:57specific part of your life you're worried about.
- 8:59And when Jesus says seek first his righteousness, what does
- 9:02righteousness mean here? It's more than just trying to be
- 9:05a good person in general. Oh, much more dynamic than that.
- 9:07It's about aligning our lives with God's perfect character and
- 9:10His just ways. When we seek His righteousness,
- 9:13we're pursuing His way of doing things, His standards, His
- 9:16priorities for our lives. It means living in a way that
- 9:19pleases him, doing what's right in his eyes, not just what feels
- 9:23right to us or what's convenient or what the world tells us is
- 9:25right. It's this active pursuit of
- 9:27being in right relationship with him and living according to his
- 9:31design. And that pursuit inherently
- 9:34pushes out the space for anxiety.
- 9:35It crowds it out like you said. It does.
- 9:37If you truly believe in the kingship of our Heavenly Father,
- 9:41then in every single situation you are free to entrust it to
- 9:44Him. And Jesus makes a direct link
- 9:46here. The more His kingship becomes
- 9:48central in your life, the less anxiety you will experience.
- 9:51It's not just a nice idea, it's presented as a spiritual
- 9:54principle. Let God be God in every corner
- 9:57of your existence. OK, so the what is clear, do not
- 10:00be anxious. And the positive action is seek
- 10:03first His Kingdom and righteousness.
- 10:05But Jesus doesn't stop there. He doesn't just give the
- 10:07command, He builds a case for it.
- 10:09He offers reasons, strong reasons.
- 10:12The sources Piper's work detail at least 8 compelling reasons
- 10:16why we shouldn't be anxious. These aren't just suggestions,
- 10:19they feel like foundational truths.
- 10:21That's a very good way to put it.
- 10:22Foundational truths. These reasons are designed to
- 10:25completely reshape our thinking, our emotional responses to all
- 10:28the uncertainties of life. They move us from that, you
- 10:31know, earthly self-centered view to a divine, God centered one.
- 10:36They provide a solid basis for peace, not just telling us to
- 10:40feel better. Right.
- 10:41Not just. Don't worry, be happy.
- 10:43No, much deeper their spiritual truths meant to transform our
- 10:47inner world. OK, let's look at the first one.
- 10:49It comes right out of the command itself.
- 10:51Verse 25. Life is more than food, and the
- 10:54body is more than clothing. What's Jesus getting at here?
- 10:57It sounds simple, but I feel like there's a challenge in
- 10:59there. There definitely is.
- 11:00People get anxious about food, clothing, the basics, often
- 11:04because they fear losing something else.
- 11:05Maybe physical pleasures, the comfort of having enough, maybe
- 11:09human praise, looking good in front of others, or maybe even
- 11:12life itself, the fear of death if necessities aren't met.
- 11:15OK, those are deep fears. They are.
- 11:17We project our desires and fears on these basic things, but Jesus
- 11:21counters this directly, he says. Essentially, if you are gripped
- 11:24by anxiety over these things, you've lost sight of the true
- 11:28greatness of life. The greatness of life.
- 11:32What is that according to Jesus here?
- 11:34Well, life wasn't given primarily for physical
- 11:36pleasures. Though God graciously gives us
- 11:38many to enjoy, it was given ultimately for the enjoyment of
- 11:42God himself. Think of Luke 12, the rich fool
- 11:45storing up treasures but being poured toward God.
- 11:48And life wasn't given primarily for the approval of other
- 11:51people. But that's nice.
- 11:53It's for the approval of God. John 5.44 talks about seeking
- 11:56glory from one another instead of the glory that comes from the
- 11:59only God. And life wasn't even given
- 12:01primarily just to last as long as possible on this earth that
- 12:03we value our time here. It was given for eternal life
- 12:06with God in the age to come. John 3.16 the foundation.
- 12:10So the point is, we shouldn't be anxious about food and clothing
- 12:14because these temporary things cannot provide the really great
- 12:17things of life. Enjoying God, pursuing his
- 12:20favor, the hope of eternity with Him.
- 12:23Our anxiety about temporary stuff actually shows we've
- 12:25shifted away from a God centered purpose.
- 12:28It reveals a misunderstanding of what life is truly for.
- 12:31That really reframes it. It's about perspective, about
- 12:34ultimate priorities. If anxiety shows we're focused
- 12:36on the temporary, letting it go frees us up for the eternal.
- 12:40Precisely. OK, the second reason Jesus
- 12:43gives this one is so visual, so immediate.
- 12:46Look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap, nor
- 12:50gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
- 12:54Are you not of more value than they?
- 12:56Yeah, it's a powerful everyday illustration.
- 12:58And notice when we observe birds, it's not a lesson in
- 13:01being lazy. No, they're busy.
- 13:03They are busy, they work, they dig for worms, they snatch bugs,
- 13:06they build nests, they're active.
- 13:08But Jesus says ultimately is God who feeds them.
- 13:12Don't anxiously hoard food as if God might forget them tomorrow.
- 13:15They operate on trust. On a kind of remarkable
- 13:17instinctual trust in God's daily provision, the sun comes up,
- 13:22they go about their God-given work, trusting the food will be
- 13:25there. And Jesus says we should go
- 13:27about our work with that same trusting spirit, believing that
- 13:30when the sun comes up tomorrow, God will still be God.
- 13:33He will still provide for our needs.
- 13:35And the punchline is the value comparison, yes.
- 13:38If God cares so meticulously for creatures of lesser value,
- 13:42creatures without eternal souls, not made in His image, with no
- 13:46eternal destiny, how much more will He certainly provide for
- 13:49His children? Us, those He values so much, He
- 13:52gave His Son for them. Our value in His eyes is just
- 13:55immeasurable, far greater than the birds.
- 13:58That difference in value should give us profound peace about our
- 14:01basic provision. OK, reason #3 this one feels
- 14:04incredibly direct, almost blunt, maybe even a little bit humorous
- 14:07in his practicality. Jesus asks.
- 14:09And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour
- 14:12to his span of life? It is blunt, isn't it?
- 14:15It just lays bare the sheer futility of worry.
- 14:17We spent so much energy on it. Sometimes we even think worrying
- 14:20means we're being responsible or that we care more.
- 14:23Right, like it's productive somehow?
- 14:25Yeah, but Jesus just cuts right through that illusion, he says.
- 14:27Look, worry is fundamentally unproductive.
- 14:31It achieves nothing. It's like, I don't know, trying
- 14:34to make your car go faster by yelling at the speedometer?
- 14:37Yeah, good analogy. You're spending energy creating
- 14:40internal noise and getting absolutely nowhere.
- 14:43Whatever problem is making you anxious, the anxiety itself will
- 14:46not reduce the problem one bit. If anything it makes it worse.
- 14:50It only makes you miserable while you try to deal with it.
- 14:53It saps your energy, drains your joy, clouds your judgement.
- 14:57It actually hinders the problem solving it pretends to be part
- 15:00of. It's just a really practical
- 15:01diagnosis. Worry doesn't just fail to help,
- 15:05it actively hurts. It's useless in terms of
- 15:07outcome. So it calls for some critical
- 15:09self reflection. Is this worry actually helping
- 15:12me solve anything? Exactly, and Jesus's answer is a
- 15:15clear no. It only hinders.
- 15:17OK, then he moves to another beautiful natural illustration,
- 15:20the lilies of the field. Matthew 6.2830 And why are you
- 15:25anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies, how they
- 15:28grow. They neither toil nor spin.
- 15:31Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
- 15:34like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass
- 15:37of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown
- 15:40into the oven, will he not much more clothe you?
- 15:43O you of little faith, that comparison to Solomon, the
- 15:46epitome of earthly splendor, really drives the point home.
- 15:50It really does think about a Lily.
- 15:52It has no will, no instinct to labor for its clothing.
- 15:56Yet it's adorned of this incredible form and color.
- 15:58The conclusion Jesus wants us to draw is this.
- 16:01God delights to adorn things. He finds joy in beauty and
- 16:05provision. So if his delight finds
- 16:07expression and adorning grass, something temporary here today,
- 16:10gone tomorrow, then surely his delight will be seen even more.
- 16:13And how he clothes his children, his image bearers.
- 16:16Now the objection immediately comes up, doesn't it?
- 16:18Someone might think, well God hasn't adorned me like that.
- 16:20Or they look at poor Christian struggling.
- 16:22Yes, and that's a valid and important thought to address.
- 16:25We need to be clear, Jesus isn't promising luxury fashion here.
- 16:29Right, not Gucci robes. Exactly.
- 16:32It's not a promise of worldly riches or even necessarily an
- 16:35easy life. Very few followers of Jesus are
- 16:38dressed like Solomon in all his glory.
- 16:40Think about John the Baptist, whom Jesus himself called the
- 16:43greatest born among women. Right camel's hair garment,
- 16:46locusts and wild honey diet. Not exactly high fashion.
- 16:49Not at all, but his adornment, his provision was perfectly
- 16:53suited for his unique rugged calling.
- 16:55It enabled him to fulfill his God-given purpose in the
- 16:58wilderness. OK, so it's less about outward
- 17:02appearance or wealth and more about purposeful provision.
- 17:05God equips us for what He's called us to do.
- 17:07Precisely, the dormant Jesus promises isn't exorbitant
- 17:11clothes, but the clothes we need, the resources, the
- 17:14provision, the strength, the wisdom, whatever is necessary to
- 17:17fulfill God's will for us in our specific calling.
- 17:19So the question becomes, have we ever lacked what was truly
- 17:23essential to do what God called us to do?
- 17:25That's the question to ask. And when viewed through that
- 17:28lens of divine purpose, the answer time and again, even
- 17:32amidst hardship, seems to be no God provides what is needed for
- 17:36His purpose. This really challenges our
- 17:39common, often consumerist ideas about divine provision.
- 17:43It grounds it not in our subjective desires for comfort,
- 17:46but in our objective calling within His Kingdom.
- 17:48Even if that calling involves hardship or persecution.
- 17:51Even then, Jesus himself warned that some followers would face
- 17:55death. But the promise is that the
- 17:57necessary grace, the necessary strength, the necessary
- 18:00adornment for that calling will be there.
- 18:02It's about being equipped for His purpose, whatever that path
- 18:05looks like. OK.
- 18:06Moving on, the next two reasons seem closely linked.
- 18:09They show us how anxiety positions us both in relation to
- 18:11the world and in relation to God.
- 18:13Matthew 6.32 says the Gentiles seek after all these things, and
- 18:17your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
- 18:19Jesus is drawing a sharp line here.
- 18:21He is. Reason 5 is this.
- 18:24Being anxious about the things of this world puts us on the
- 18:27same level as unbelievers. Gentiles here, in this context
- 18:32means those who don't know God, those who don't trust his
- 18:35provision, the Pagan world around them.
- 18:38So if we're anxious about these basic worldly things.
- 18:41It indicates that what makes us content, what we're striving
- 18:43for, is pretty much the same as the world's priorities.
- 18:47Jesus assumes his first Baku war.
- 18:50His followers won't want that similarity.
- 18:53To be anxious about life's necessities shows our desires
- 18:56might be aligned with those who don't have a Heavenly Father to
- 18:58rely on. It's a kind of spiritual
- 19:00diagnostic. And how does that connect to the
- 19:026th reason, the second part of that verse?
- 19:04Yeah, your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
- 19:06All it connects directly because it exposes the root issue, a
- 19:09lack of trust. If we're anxious, like those who
- 19:12don't know God, reason 5. It shows we might not actually
- 19:15trust that our Father in heaven knows our needs.
- 19:17Reason, say. What if he cares?
- 19:19Or that he has the loving heart of a father who genuinely cares
- 19:22and is able to provide. Our anxiety, seen this way,
- 19:26becomes a practical demonstration of unbelief in his
- 19:29character, his knowledge, his love, his power.
- 19:33So these two reason together are a powerful challenge.
- 19:36We shouldn't be anxious because first, the world we're acting
- 19:39like offers nothing eternal, and second, our loving Heavenly
- 19:42Father knows our needs now and forever.
- 19:45Anxiety suggests we're spiritually too close to the
- 19:47world and too far from trusting God.
- 19:50It really prompts some reflection, doesn't it?
- 19:53For you listening, where do you find your contentment and what
- 19:56does your anxiety reveal about that alignment?
- 19:58OK, reason #7 brings us back to that central positive command we
- 20:01discussed earlier. Seek first the Kingdom of God
- 20:04and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to
- 20:06you. What exactly does all these
- 20:08things cover, and what's the nature of this promise?
- 20:10It sounds almost too good to be true.
- 20:12It's a huge promise, but it needs careful understanding.
- 20:16All these things, The food, the drink, the clothing, the
- 20:18necessities. He's been talking about it.
- 20:19It doesn't mean everything we think we need based on our wish
- 20:22list or comparing ourselves to others.
- 20:25It means everything we really need.
- 20:27And what we really need is determined by God, specifically
- 20:31in relation to what He calls us to do.
- 20:33It's not defined by our subjective feelings or societal
- 20:36pressures. So.
- 20:38God's provision is tied to His purpose for us.
- 20:40Exactly. It implies God's provision is
- 20:43perfectly aligned with His divine purpose.
- 20:45For each person's life. He will provide what is
- 20:48necessary to fulfill His calling on our lives, to enable us to do
- 20:52His will. It's a promise linked to our
- 20:55actively seeking His Kingdom first, prioritizing His rule and
- 20:59His ways. It's not a blank check for
- 21:01personal comfort or wealth or an easy path.
- 21:04If God has a task for you, He will provide the means.
- 21:07If He calls you to a certain life, He will sustain you in it.
- 21:10That's the assurance. That makes sense.
- 21:12It's provision for purpose. And the final reason #8 tackle
- 21:16something we all struggle with, worrying about the future.
- 21:20Jesus says do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow
- 21:23will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be
- 21:26sufficient for the day. This seems to hit directly at
- 21:29carrying future burdens today. It absolutely does.
- 21:32God, in his wisdom, has appointed to each day its own
- 21:36portion of challenges and blessings, of pain and pleasure.
- 21:40There's an old Swedish hymn by Carolina Sandel Berg that
- 21:43captures this beautifully. It speaks of finding strength
- 21:47day by day for the trials here. Trusting God gives each day what
- 21:51He deems best, mingling toil with rest.
- 21:54Day by day. Yes, the point Jesus is making
- 21:57is don't misappropriate tomorrow's troubles.
- 22:00Don't borrow them and bring them into today in the form of
- 22:02anxiety. Because God hasn't given the
- 22:04grace for them today. Precisely believe that God will
- 22:07be God tomorrow, and tomorrow comes.
- 22:09There will be grace sufficient for tomorrow's troubles, but
- 22:11that grace is specifically for tomorrow.
- 22:13It's not given out today. So practically, this frees us
- 22:16up. It frees us to deal with today's
- 22:18challenges using the grades God has given for this day, trusting
- 22:22Him for future provision when and only when it's genuinely
- 22:26needed. It's a call to live fully in the
- 22:28present moment with faith for what's ahead, rather than being
- 22:32mentally and emotionally crippled by a future that hasn't
- 22:35even arrived yet. OK, we've walked through these
- 22:37eight powerful reasons Jesus gives us not to be anxious, but
- 22:41maybe let's just take a moment to under score the downsides.
- 22:44What are the actual burdens, the negative outcomes of living in
- 22:48anxiety? What does it really cost us when
- 22:50we don't heed this command and these reasons?
- 22:53That's important to consider because the costs are
- 22:54significant. They go beyond just feeling bad.
- 22:56First, as we touched on, there's the loss of life's true purpose.
- 23:00Right, focusing on food instead of God.
- 23:02Exactly. Anxiety about necessities shows
- 23:05we've lost sight of life's real greatness, which isn't found in
- 23:08physical comfort or human approval, or even just staying
- 23:10alive longer on earth. It's found in enjoying God,
- 23:14seeking His approval, living for eternity with Him.
- 23:17Anxiety pulls our gaze down from those ultimate purposes.
- 23:21It fundamentally misdirects us. OK, what else?
- 23:23Second, there's the sheer futility and the increased
- 23:26misery it brings. We talked about this.
- 23:28Anxiety is useless. It's unproductive.
- 23:31Can't add an hour to your? Life not one hour and it won't
- 23:34reduce the problem causing the anxiety.
- 23:36All it does is make you miserable while you're trying to
- 23:39deal with whatever it is. Think of the mental energy, the
- 23:41emotional drain. That's exhausting.
- 23:43It is all that energy consumed, often with 0 progress on the
- 23:47issue. It's like a self-inflicted wound
- 23:50that hinders rather than helps. That's a sobering thought,
- 23:53number three. Third.
- 23:55It leads to an alignment with unbelievers.
- 23:58Being anxious about worldly things puts us functionally on
- 24:02the same level as those who don't know God's love or
- 24:04provision. It suggests our source of
- 24:06contentment is the same as the world's.
- 24:09Which isn't what we're called to.
- 24:10Not at all. It blurs that crucial
- 24:12distinction between a life centered on God and one consumed
- 24:16by worldly concerns. It weakens our witness and our
- 24:19own spiritual health. 4th. 4th anxiety serves as a practical
- 24:24demonstration of lack of faith. When we worry, we are
- 24:28essentially acting as if our Heavenly Father either doesn't
- 24:31know our needs, or doesn't care, or isn't powerful enough to
- 24:34help. That's quite direct.
- 24:35It is. It signals that we might be, in
- 24:38that moment, too close to the world's way of thinking and too
- 24:42far from trusting God's heart and His sovereignty.
- 24:45Our actions, our anxieties, speak volumes about what we
- 24:49truly believe about God. What's the 5th cost?
- 24:525th It involves premature burden carrying.
- 24:55Worrying about tomorrow means we're trying to shoulder
- 24:58tomorrow's troubles today, using today's strength before God is
- 25:01even given the grace appointed for tomorrow.
- 25:03Like trying to carry two days backpacks at once.
- 25:05Exactly. Each day has its own troubles,
- 25:08Jesus says, and God provides grace sufficient for that day.
- 25:11Fretting about the future denies the sufficiency of his grace for
- 25:14the present and wears this out unnecessarily.
- 25:17Finally, anxiety acts as a hindrance to experiencing
- 25:20Jesus's kingship fully. His kingship, his rule, is meant
- 25:24to free us from anxiety, so if anxiety persists, it suggests
- 25:29his kingship might not be truly primary and central in that area
- 25:32of our lives. It prevents us from fully
- 25:35realizing and living in the anxiety free life that Jesus
- 25:38both commands and makes possible through His reign.
- 25:41When we hold on to worry, we're not fully letting Him rule in
- 25:44that space. So the implications are pretty
- 25:46far reaching. It affects our purpose, our
- 25:48well-being, our witness, our faith, our present energy, and
- 25:51our experience of God's. Rule, yes.
- 25:53It's not a minor issue in the Christian life.
- 25:54OK, so if Jesus really does not want his followers to be
- 25:57anxious, and his Kingdom genuinely offers freedom from
- 26:00this burden, how do we make this practical?
- 26:02How do we apply these truths day-to-day?
- 26:05It sounds like it requires more than just wishing worry away.
- 26:07It needs intentional effort. It absolutely does.
- 26:10It's an active process. The main point is crystal clear
- 26:12from the text. Jesus does not desire anxiety
- 26:15for his people, and since he himself believed that, giving
- 26:18reasons, reasoned arguments based on truth delivered in
- 26:22words helps overcome anxiety. Which is why he gave us these
- 26:25eight reasons. Exactly.
- 26:27It just makes sense, doesn't it, that we need to actively keep
- 26:30these reasons before our minds. We need to seek to make them
- 26:32part of our regular mental and emotional landscape.
- 26:35Not just hear them once in a sermon or a deep dive like this.
- 26:39No, we need to internalize them. The sources Piper even suggest
- 26:42it would be wise to memorize Matthew 6.2534.
- 26:46Memorize the whole passage, yes. Think of it as a deliberate
- 26:50strategy, a way to plant these counter anxiety realities and
- 26:53deep into your mind and heart, to weave them into the fabric of
- 26:57your thinking. So they're readily available
- 26:59when worry starts to creep in. Precisely.
- 27:01It becomes ammunition in the battle.
- 27:03It's an active step in aligning your thoughts with God's
- 27:06revealed truth. You know, Paul talks about
- 27:08taking every thought captive to Christ is part of that.
- 27:11By intentionally filling our minds with his truth, his
- 27:14perspective on reality, we leave less room for the seeds of worry
- 27:18to take root and flourish. It's about choosing consciously
- 27:22choosing to dwell on His promises and His character
- 27:25rather than getting lost in our fears and uncertainties.
- 27:28What a compelling deep dive this has been into something that
- 27:30really does touch every single one of us.
- 27:33That contrast you drew earlier between earthly kings
- 27:36potentially using fear and anxiety to control, and Jesus,
- 27:40whose invincible kingship actually works to liberate us
- 27:43from anxiety, That offers such a significant shift in
- 27:46perspective, it really is an invitation to a different way of
- 27:49living. It truly is understanding that
- 27:52our Father knows our every need. He really knows, and that the
- 27:56grace we need for tomorrow's challenges will arrive tomorrow,
- 27:58not before. That understanding allows us to
- 28:02live with a kind of freedom that, frankly, many people in
- 28:04the world are desperately seeking but can't find.
- 28:07It's a straightforward call, really.
- 28:08Trust Him. Focus on His Kingdom, His
- 28:11righteous standards today. Live each day with the grace He
- 28:14provides for that day. That approach, it frees us from
- 28:18that endless, exhausting cycle of worry.
- 28:20It allows us to pursue what truly matters.
- 28:23So for you listening as you reflect on what we've discussed
- 28:26today, what stands out most? Maybe it's that radical nature
- 28:29of Jesus kingship, the idea that his power frees instead of
- 28:33frightens. Maybe it the stark reality of
- 28:35worries, futility. Or maybe it's just that simple,
- 28:38profound truth. Your Heavenly Father knows what
- 28:41you need. How might choosing to make God
- 28:43the King in that specific moment of worry, handing it over,
- 28:46seeking his way? How might that reshape your
- 28:48experience? We really hope this deep dive
- 28:51provides a solid foundation, some real tools for experiencing
- 28:54greater peace and trust in your daily walk.
- 28:56We hope it helps you live more fully in the freedom that Jesus
- 28:58offers.