When your life is centered on Christ, you find all you need.

What kinds of things make people worry?

There are a lot of things that cause us to worry, family, health, what the future may hold, or our jobs. If not careful we can allow worry to consume us and even paralyze us. What if I make the wrong decision? What if my family or friends never come to know Christ? What if? What if? What if we stop fixating on the things out of our control? That's hard to do sometimes when we feel that we aren't in control. But Jesus gave us the key. When we turn our focus on the world, worry usually is the result. When we focus on Christ, it changes everything.

Jesus calls us to seek his kingdom and righteousness first. Jesus gives us a sobering reminder of the state that one's heart and mind could end up in if our focus is on the physical rather than the spiritual. This kind of thinking can lead to worry and anxiety.

Let's take a look at the Sermon on the Mount "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith?""So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat?' or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them." "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 6:25-34)

I have had several opportunities to put these verses to work in my life. Loss of my husbands employment several years ago lead to worry and anxiety. Getting up in the morning and turning on the water or the ability to provide food for the table was a blessing for sure. I knew who it was that was sustaining us. My hope was in these very words. Giving thanks for what we were going through was sometimes hard. However, I would praise him anyway, giving thanks for all things and seeking his kingdom. I wouldn't change going through the valley even as unpleasant as it had been. Looking back, I can see how God provided for us, just as these verses tell us. Seeing God move, seeing Him keep his promises, helped to strengthen my trust in Him. I give praise and glory to God our Father for his loving care.  If you are going through a similar situation, keep these words in your heart, seek his kingdom first. You will one day be able to look back and see how he has moved for you as well.