“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Matthew 6:31–33
Turning Anxiety to Peace
On November 7, 2016 the cover of time magazine showed a teenage girl in a pink blouse and jeans eyes closed and a posture which exuded the difficulty of life. The title read, “Anxiety, Depression, and the Modern Adolescent”. Since 2016, the state of anxiety in America has not improved. Political and social turmoil exacerbated Covid lockdowns and responses, which only increased students screen time which is itself associated with greater feelings of anxiety and depression.
This trouble is nothing new. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus addresses the anxiety that plagued so many 2000 years ago. At the time Jesus was teaching, people were anxious about finding enough food to eat or clothing to wear. Today in the American culture we are rarely concerned with going completely without food and clothing. Today we have luxuries that could not even be imagined at that time like electricity, air conditioning, and plumbing. Yet all of our advances have done little to nothing to curb anxiety. This is because anxiety has very little to do with our circumstances and a lot to do with our focus.
When Jesus addresses anxiety, He encourages us to seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else will follow after. He is telling us the anxiety we feel is a direct result of our focus. The more we focus on the things of this world the greater our anxiety will be. The more we focus on God’s Kingdom the less our anxiety will be. Why is this?
A woman had a precious pendant given to her by her mother that she loved more than anything else. Initially she locked it in a small jewelry box in her room, but she realized that someone could easily steal the whole jewelry box. She went out and purchased a large safe and had it anchored into cement in her basement. Yet when she was watching a movie she saw someone break open a safe with a torch and she became worried again about her beloved pendant. So, she paid for security guards to stand watch 24 hours a day, but still she worried that the security guards themselves might take her pendant. Finally, one day as she was coming to the end of her life her friends asked her what she wanted done with the pendant. She responded, “I must take it with me”.
Her friend responded, “so you would like it buried with you?”
“Oh no” she said, “I must take it with me to heaven.”
With a great sigh, knowing what was to come her friend told her the truth, “I’m sorry it cannot be done”.
Tears streamed down the woman’s face as she realized that no matter what she did, she could not hold onto what was most precious to her.
Treasures on earth we cannot keep, but treasures in heaven we cannot lose. The Kingdom of God and treasures stored up in heaven are in God’s hands. The more we are able to focus first on the Kingdom of Heaven, the more our anxieties will fade and peace in God will reign in our lives.