Matthew 6:34 NIV: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Fret, brood, agonize, dwell on, worry, panic, and perseverate- these are just a tiny batch of words related to being anxious. What words can you add?
As I worked on this art piece today, my mind wandered, and I wondered if worry was ever beneficial. If we take the dictionary’s definition of worry as “giving way to anxiety or allowing one’s mind to dwell on difficulties or trouble,” I will say no. Worry isn’t the same as asking questions and planning or putting on your seatbelt because driving can be dangerous. Worry is hyper-fixating on something that hasn’t happened yet.
The Greek word Jesus uses in this verse for worry is merimnaó, which means to be drawn in opposite directions or pulled apart, divided, and distracted. This gives a good sense of what worry does—it paralyzes us because our minds bounce from one possibility to another, absorbing worse-case scenarios or giving into feelings of dread. Even without the emotion of anxiety, worry can freeze us with indecision or perpetual thoughts of what-ifs.
Do you know what research has found to be just as effective as medication for anxiety? Something called mindfulness. Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment, noticing thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise and pass away. Guess who was once again ahead of his time by promoting mindfulness? Jesus.
This verse is from a larger passage from the Sermon on the Mount. In verses 25-34, Jesus teaches us not to worry by paying attention to nature. He asks us to “look to the birds of the air” and reminds us that God feeds and cares for them, even though they don’t plan, strategize, or set goals. Then, he mentions flowers, calling attention to the splendor in which God clothes them. He challenges, “Will [God] not much more clothe you?”
If I pause long enough to be aware of the beauty in nature, the budding flowers, chirping birds, babble of a brook or the breeze moving through trees, my divided and distracted mind becomes present to the here and now. I am grounded in the reminder that God loves me exceedingly more than even the birds and bees, and if he cares so well for them, he will care for all my needs.
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