“Your heavenly Father knows [what] you need. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow.” (Matt. 6:32b, 34)

We’ve been reading devotionals, listening to sermons, and engaging in small group discussion about the myriad voices everywhere all at once forming our attitudes and shaping our behavior. Those voices accelerate the worry and anxiety that come naturally to all of us - even when we try to elevate God’s voice above the noise. I thought once our two children were grown, had successful careers, and we’d retired, our worry days would greatly diminish. 

And then we had grandkids.

While joyous, those births resurrected a voice, an anxiety-inducing voice, from my past which I thought I had silenced. Yours might be a coach who said you’d never make the varsity team, a parent who criticizes your parenting, the middle school “in group” which made you feel you’d never fit in. Mine originated from a well-respected women’s teacher in a former church:

• The principle: make your biggest concerns a matter of daily prayer
• The corollary: bad things could happen when you don’t pray enough or in the right way

Talk about heightening my worry! If I neglected to pray, would I be at fault if something bad happened to my grandkids? Her voice consumed my prayer time, overtaking the lie embedded in that woman’s “teaching”: that God is controlled by my prayers. Even now, when daily I hand over a concern to God, her voice occasionally reappears, and panic ensues:  Did I forget to pray about this?  

I know better. Why have I let her voice drown out what I know to be true? Because my anxiety (maybe yours, too) is related to how much I can control things. But Jesus reminds His disciples (and us) how little control we have and the futility of worrying:

• Do not worry about your life…can you by worrying add a single day to your life?
• O you of little faith, do not worry.
• Your heavenly Father knows [what] you need. 
• Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

(Matt. 6:25,27,30-33). 

Let’s pause to read His words again and listen. Jesus tells me my worrying is unreasonable (it changes nothing). He tells me it's unhelpful (honestly, it just makes me miserable). He tells me it’s unnecessary (since He loves my grandchildren even more than I do, vs.26). 

Bottom line: God’s word tells me what is true. 

What voices are still haunting you? Notice how many times God says “don’t worry” above (go ahead; read the passage again and count!)  Remember: God knows what you’re praying about. He knows "each day has enough trouble of its own” (vs. 34) and how hard it is to let go and not worry. But trust Him when He says, “I know what you need; listen to My voice; do not worry.”