“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25, NRSV)
After saying these words, Jesus further explains that, just as God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies of the field, God will care for human beings. Don’t worry; God knows what you need.
When I read this verse and the verses that follow, (Matthew 6:25-32) two things pop into my head. The first is the Bobby McFerrin song, released in 1988, which encouraged us all; “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. The second is “Hakuna Matata”, the “problem-free philosophy” described in Disney’s The Lion King. (Right now I offer my apologies should either of these songs plant themselves in your brain for the remainder of the day!)
Is this what Jesus meant? Am I to adopt a worry-free philosophy and be happy, trusting that God will take care of the rest of life’s details? It’s appealing, isn’t it? The unspoken message is that if God is not providing what I need, I simply am not trusting God enough.
But wait…
As if it were written for an episode of Paul Harvey’s, The Rest of the Story, we reach verse 33:
“But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33, NRSV)
Or, as another translation states:
“But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” (Matthew 6:33, CEV)
Whoa. With a single verse, my “Hakuna Matata” thoughts are redirected.
Imagine a world where every single human being is working together to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked and provide health care to those who are sick. Imagine it; God’s kingdom. I can’t make that happen all by myself. But I can do my part.
~Sally Hoelscher