Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

Everyone worries from time to time, but if you suffer from anxiety, it may be hard to internalize this. 

And I wonder if the disciples had a hard time internalizing this too. 

I can only imagine Peter thinking to himself: Ok, Jesus.  That’s probably true, but how does one actually stop worrying?  Birds aren’t built like humans. Of course they don’t worry like we do.  Can I get a few more lessons on this ‘not worrying’ thing?

But as I meditated on these verses more and more, I realized something:  Jesus was completely aware that we as human beings worry.  He was completely aware that we have higher thought patterns and are susceptible to higher-level anxieties.

He Himself had fears and concerns that He had to pray about. So the goal is not to pressure ourselves to just stop worrying.

The bigger point of what Jesus is saying is that God will provide.  He provides for all His creatures. And when you change your mindset to one of trust and faith, you too can experience the type of peace that the birds feel.  

Even if you feel like your issues are insurmountable, you have to truly accept and believe that God is bigger, and there’s no problem that’s beyond His capability to fix. 

So no matter what is causing you to worry – finances, children, your mental health, your job…know that it’s not up to you to fix everything. It’s not your burden to carry, and it’s not up to you to have all the answers.

There’s just one simple thing you have to remember: God WILL provide.

Sincerely,

Alexia