Worry Is Sin
A Study in Matthew for the Preoccupied
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34 NIV
Don't Worry!
These two verses follow several verses that detail unnecessary worries. These include food, drink and clothes. Verse 27 says, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" We are not to worry about anything in our lives, up to the point of, and including the too often alarming and nevertheless imminent fact of death.
The instruction is simple, but the practice seems impossible. People worry about work and finances and safety on the roads. Relationships and loneliness cause stress. People even worry about matching clothes and hosted dinners. With so many things begging for your worried thoughts and stressed energy, how do you cope effectively and obediently?
The Answer
The answer to that question is in the first verse quoted above. "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness". If you can focus your energy on something more productive, there will not be room for worry. But what does it mean to seek his "kingdom" and his "righteousness"?
His Kingdom and His Righteousness
The kingdom of God is the place where God rules. It is made up of those who have trusted Jesus. To seek his kingdom is to strive for the realization of it. His kingdom has not yet come.
"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient." Ephesians 2:1-2 NIV
By trusting in Christ as Savior, believers are made alive and are made capable of seeking righteousness. You can, in Jesus, strive for perfection until his coming.
No Excuse
Since you are to strive for perfection, the instructions not to worry do not allow for laziness. Christians are still called to be good stewards, careful planners and responsible citizens. It is important to be deliberate and industrious while laying aside anxiousness.
Looking again at the verses in Matthew, there is a beautiful promise. When God is the first priority, all other necessities will be taken care of. Stress may be unavoidable in the world we live in, but worry is totally optional. Anyone who has been made a new creation in Christ is free to choose a life devoted to righteousness and free from the sin of worry.
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