We’ve looked at God’s major Old Testament covenants and then at the New Covenant. We’ve examined what happened at Jesus’s birth. Now let’s consider some of the benefits we as Christians receive under this New Covenant. We’ll spend the next few weeks looking at promises God made to us.

If you have not read the earlier posts on this subject, find the “Categories” list in the right-hand column of this page and click on “Christianity 101.” This will pull up all the previous posts so you can read through them in order.

Today we’re going to take a look at Chapter 6 of the book of Matthew. This is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is talking about how people worry about money, clothes, food, and other things. He makes several famous statements in this discourse, but for today, we’re going to look at verses 31-33 but concentrate on verse 33. The New American Standard Bible renders these verses as follows:

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’

“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

What a wonderful promise! We don’t have to worry—about anything, because our Father in heaven knows our needs.

What do you worry about? Your job? How to make your mortgage payment? How to afford the new clothes you want? How to keep your old car running? Most of us could make a long list of things to worry about, but has worry ever actually gained you anything? Has a problem ever gone away because you tossed and turned and worried about it all night? I think not.

Worry robs us of today’s joy without necessarily bringing a better tomorrow. In fact, what we worry about often doesn’t even materialize. We make ourselves miserable worrying that such and such may happen, and then it doesn’t. All that anxiety was totally wasted.

Nothing in this discussion says we don’t have to do our jobs. Nothing says we can be irresponsible and expect God to clean up our messes. We are still to do what is expected of us to the best of our ability. Then we turn it over to God to bring what He will out of it.

Right now I’ve got eight books on the market. I don’t think I’ve ever received a royalty check with three digits to the left of the decimal point, but I don’t worry about it. I wrote them to the best of my ability. I do what I can to promote them. But I can’t control the sales. If God wants to add His touch to make them start selling more, so be it. But I was provided for through His grace before I published the first one. Any big royalties I ever get will just be gravy, allowing me to give more and maybe take a few more trips.

Up until about 30 years ago, I worried all the time about money. I never made enough, and I constantly tried to figure out how to make more. Then I learned this principle. I began to seek God and His kingdom and let Him take care of the rest. I still had to do my job, but once I took a back seat to God, my job efforts began to be much more rewarding.

The key here was making the decision to seek Him first. It’s not a magic formula. You don’t say three Hail Marys or bow to the east twice a day or any other such act. It has nothing to do with how often you attend church (although being part of a body of loving Christians helps immensely in all phases of your Christian walk). It’s an attitude.

Forget all the do’s and dont’s and just turn your attention to putting Him first. Wake up in the morning praising Him and praying about your day. Develop an attitude of thinking of Him first.

If you have trouble developing that attitude, that’s okay, too. All you have to do is confess to Him that you want to put Him first but don’t know how. He’ll move through His Holy Spirit to change your attitude for you.

Christianity was never about trying to please an almighty God. It’s always been about God’s willingness and ability to reach down and lead us where we need to go.

Do you have trouble turning your problems and worries over to God? What have you done about it? Our readers want to know.

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If you abide in Me and My word abides in you, then you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

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For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.

For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.

Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.