We all have things that fill our lives and give us purpose. We become focused on those things and allow them to consume our time and money. If we are not careful, those things, though they may be good, will become a top priority in our lives, and Jesus will begin to slide down the ladder of importance. Physical needs are ever present. We work jobs to fulfill our physical needs for food and shelter. However, when our need for food and shelter is met, our eyes focus on our wants. We make lists and plan for how we can have better things. We get so focused on getting things that we start allowing our spiritual needs to grow stale. We become materialistic and do not realize it. We still attend church, pay our tithe, and read a little in the Bible during the week. We convince ourselves we are okay, but we are not growing in our relationship with God. We are living for the physical things of life.
As Christians, our focus should be on Christ and His kingdom. When we put Him first, he will take care of us. In Matthew 6:25-33, Jesus speaks to the multitude in what we have entitled “The Sermon on the Mount.” In verse 25, He begins to talk about this priority of spiritual things first. He tells us not to be stressed or worried about what we will wear or what we will eat. In other words, these are not the important parts of life.
Mattew 6:25 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?”
In verse 26, he uses the birds as an example. They do not plant or water the plants that supply the seeds they eat. They do not gather up seeds and store them for the next meal. God has and will supply their needs.
Matthew 6:26 “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”
In verse 27, Jesus shows us that God also is in control of our physical height. How many of us would be a few inches taller or shorter if we could change our height? I know I would be a couple of inches taller. At 5’4”, many things are out of my reach without help, however I had no control over this aspect of my life.
Matthew 6:27 “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?”
The next illustration He uses is with the flowers of the field. He tells us to consider the lilies of the field. Pay attention to how they grow. In our region of Alabama, tiger lilies are easy to grow. They will continue to grow and spread for an undetermined number of years. There are some on my parent’s property that they did not plant, nor do they feed or water them, but every spring, they come up and bloom. They have lived there for 66 years! Only God can sustain the lilies this long. When He created the earth, He put in place a plan to take care of His creation. Not only does He care for them, but He causes them to flourish. In verse 29, He says that Solomon, in all his glory, was not clothed like the lilies.
Matthew 6:28-29 “And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
After gaining the attention by these illustrations, Jesus makes application to us. If God took care of the flowers of the field and the birds in the air, how much more will He take care of us? We are created in His image. We are the only part of creation that can have a personal relationship with Him. We are the only thing on this earth that will live forever. The only part of creation that can be redeemed from this sin-cursed world. With the knowledge of this passage, why should we worry about what we wear or eat?
Matthew 6:30-31 “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?”
We are not to be like those who are not followers of Jesus. We are to place our trust and hope in God. In verse 32, Jesus said that the Gentiles, those who do not know the one true God, make their desire in life to seek after things. They spend their entire lives living for what material things they can gain. Things that will one day pass away. Then Jesus turns to us and how we are to react to the truths He has told them. We are to seek Him first! Our Father knows what we need, and He loves to take care of His children. When we seek Him first, everything else will fall into place. We will have our needs met.
Matthew 6:32-33 “(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
If we live our lives in obedience to His word, taking every opportunity to spread the gospel, living a life that reflects who He is, acknowledging He is always with us, directing, comforting, and listening, we can be assured that everything we need will be provided.
Seek the spiritual and the physical will be taken care of!
