In 1988, a singer/songwriter named Bobby McFerrin released a single that billions would repeat for years to come.
Maybe you know it. It goes like this:
Here’s a little song I wrote,
You might want to sing it note for note.
Don’t worry, be happy.
In every life, we have some trouble,
But when you worry, you make it double.
Don’t worry, be happy.
Ain’t got no place to lay your head,
Somebody came and took your bed.
Don’t worry, be happy.
The landlord said your rent is late,
He may have to litigate.
Don’t worry, be happy.
He goes on to talk about the dramas and challenges of life, and his simple resolution is not to worry but to be happy.
The dictionary defines worry as tormenting one’s self with or suffering from disturbing thoughts. It is to have overwhelming anxieties or feelings of uneasiness over circumstances in our lives.
In the United States, 60% of citizens are suffering from some form of anxiety. In addition, 33% of people are filled with stress.
Frankly, I am shocked at the number of people in our society gripped with anxiety and fear.
Considering those statistics, it’s no wonder Jesus spent time in the Sermon on the Mount speaking about worry. And he recognized it as one of the biggest challenges that humanity faces.
Don’t Worry About Your Life
“Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”
Jesus implores that we should not be consumed and worried about two specific things: the food we eat and the clothes we wear.
Looking at my congregation on any given Sunday, it is evident that no one has missed a meal. (In fact, some of us could stand to miss a meal!)
Additionally, some people won’t come to church because they don’t have the right look or attire. Let me remind you that First Baptist Church of Glenarden is not the runway of a fashion show. We encourage you to dress anyway; just have something on!
Look to the Birds of the Air Verse 26
“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 more valuable than they?”
Matthew 6:26, NKJV
The fact of the matter is that the birds of the air don’t own a refrigerator, nor do they hang clothes in closets. And yet, God provides their every need for them.
Aren’t we more valuable to God than they are? Yes, we are!
I. You Cannot Change Your Situation by Worrying (vs. 27-29)
“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how the grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
Matthew 6:27-29, NKJV
This passage gives it to us straight. You can’t change your problem, dynamic, or circumstance by worrying! Furthermore, the outcome of your difficulty won’t change when you commit to anxiety!
Jesus is explaining and assuring those listening that even though Solomon, in all of his wealth and splendor, still couldn’t match the brilliance and care God took in dressing the lilies of the field.
Be encouraged; God will take care of you, if not more than He takes care of the flowers on earth.
Let me challenge you with this: whatever it is that is stressing you out, turn that thinking around and be thankful that God has put a roof over your head.
Be thankful for what you have, and stop worrying about what is yet to come.
Hasn’t He taken care of your every need, big and small, over the course of your life? God is faithful, and He always takes care of us!
I.Realize That God Will Clothe and Feed You (vs. 30-32)
“Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”
Matthew 6:30-32, NKJV
The good news is that He has already made provisions for you!
Stop worrying that the Lord will give your blessing to someone else. His provisions for you are for you, and He is faithful to hand deliver them in good timing.
And better yet, God knows what you need when you need it.
He knows how much money you need in your bank account.
He knows what you need in your fridge.
And He knows what you need to be encouraged.
He already knows.
Anytime you become discontent with what you have, that is a sign of the work of the enemy.
In the book of Genesis, the devil convinced Adam and Eve that they needed something other than what they already had in the garden.
This is how the devil operates! He wants to make you think you need more.
So will you listen to the Father’s voice, or will you give in to the serpent?
I.Seek God’s Kingdom First, and He Will Provide (vs. 33-34)
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Matthew 6:33-34, NKJV
If you seek God’s kingdom first and His righteousness, everything you need in this life will be given to you.
And not only will he make a way for you, but if you put God at the top of your agenda, He will bless you immeasurably more than you can imagine!
I encourage you this day: don’t worry about tomorrow –be thankful for what God has made available to you today.
I would like to close with this final group of lyrics that I wrote especially for this message:
Here’s a little sermon I wrote,
You might want to quote it
Note by note.
Don’t worry, be happy.
Seek God first, and everything else will be all right.