But that’s about as far as it goes for me. My family and I are more Hilton, Marriott, (in all reality, Super 8 and Best Western) people than pop-up camper or tent people. I like the modern amenities. I like running water and toilets that work. Don’t get me wrong – I love God’s creation. I just don’t like to sleep in it. It makes me itchy just thinking about it.

Nature is God’s creation. We are God’s creation as well. And though “nature” was created before man, we happen to be God’s favorite. We are more important to God than the birds, the fields, the trees and the grass. We are the ones made in God’s own image. We are the ones for whom God became man. We are the ones important enough to save eternally. We are the ones who have been given a soul so that we can share in the treasures of heaven by grace through faith in our Savior Jesus.

God favors us to nature, but nature does seem to have an advantage. And for that reason, Jesus needs to tell us something. Nature is not anxious about anything. Have you seen anxious trees? Have you seen anxious fields? You may have seen anxious animals, but I want you to know the anxiety that a bird or a cow would go through looks nothing like that of people. Nature is not anxious about anything. Nature takes what God gives. If the grass needs water – the grass takes what God gives. If the birds of the air need food – they wait and take what God gives. Nature is not anxious.

However, we get pretty anxious about nature. When are we going to get rain? For farmers this could mean anxious times. We see people stress over global warming and hurricane predictions. People get upset over how hot or how cold it could be for a particular outdoor activity that my get cancelled if conditions aren’t just right. We get pretty anxious about nature.

Nature does not worry about the rain. It takes the rain when it gets it. We, however worry about every little natural circumstance under the sun wondering how bad it all could get.

So Jesus says, “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all…” Yet, this doesn’t stop us from worrying!! Jesus tells us that we are more important, more valuable than the birds of the air and the grass and the trees. Look how these things are sustained by our Lord. Through drought, through terrible weather, through plagues of insects, scorching heat and freezing cold – God’s creation comes back alive and thriving in this His remarkable world. How much more does His promise extend to preserving us?

And yet this does not stop of from being what Jesus tells us not to be – anxious. There is not one person in this room who has not been “anxious.” All of us know this feeling. Some of us know anxiety all too well. It can be debilitating. Jesus says, “Don’t be anxious about anything.” That’s easy for Him to say, He’s God. He doesn’t have a mortgage to pay. He doesn’t have to run the kids around three different places after school and still get homework done. He doesn’t have health concerns to worry about or whether or not He will have a job tomorrow.

But what if we are? We can’t help it, right? Does this mean that we are disobeying God? Yes! It does mean that we are disobeying God. God says, don’t be anxious and we get anxious. We are doing what God said not to. He said He will take care of us – and that promise is as good as gold. But we worry anyway. Why?

It really all boils down to a trust issue – or – a “lack of” trust issue. Trusting in God above all things is hard to do. At times, we fail at it miserably. God promises to take care of us. We may think He at times has let us down. However, we have been prone to be terrible gages in trying to figure out what is actually best for us and those around us. We don’t always trust God to take care. And we worry. We worry ourselves to death wondering what we can do, how we can make the situation better. We think that the more we worry about something the more things will be okay. We almost don’t want to stop worrying. If you don’t worry or aren’t anxious that means we don’t care, we might think. Is anxiety a sin?

I think this might be a good time to make the distinction between the kind of anxiety that Jesus is talking about in our text and the kind of anxiety that might be better stated as “concern.” We get concerned when our kids go out on the weekends. We get concerned over a family member’s health. This might cause us to worry. But what about the worry that translates into a lack of trust -- an anxiety that causes us to think we have to step in where God can’t? The Proverbs say, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” This is not a suggestion, this is a God given statement to be implemented in our lives. It’s also a statement of comfort because our Lord does work beyond our own understanding. Trust in that.

Paul says in Philippians chapter four, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” He tells us to not leave it up to chance but rather trust that God will take care as we approach Him with the things that we so desperately need.

Trust in the Lord and do not be anxious about anything. In Christ is where all that matters – all the troubles – all the worries can be placed. And so Jesus was right – as Jesus can only be – when He says in the text for today, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” First comes the Kingdom of God – and then all the rest will be added. Above all is the Kingdom. When the Kingdom is sought after and His righteousness is number one, then everything else falls into place.

No, not everything is perfect. No, life is not always wonderful and pleasurable. Rather, everything else that we will ever need “is added.” And that’s all we need. And when we have all that we need, we need not to be anxious about anything. Because when we have all that we need, we don’t need to worry about our family, we have it all. We don’t need to worry about our health, we have it all. We don’t need to worry about money, our job, our car, or our homes. We have it all. We have it all “added” unto us. We don’t need to worry because what we have added to us is so much more important than anything we could ever encounter today. When the Kingdom is first, the Kingdom is ours. No worries.

No worries – because we are first. In God’s eyes, we are first. Created in His own image He loves us so much that even tainted with sin He would still accept us. Even tainted with sin, He would even come to live with us, and die for us. We really are first among all of God’s creation. We really are more important than the birds in the air and the beasts of the field. To them He never said, “All these things will be added unto you.”

The next time anxiety has its ugly grip on you, take a walk. Take a walk and soak in all of God’s brilliant creation. “Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares for you,” (1 Peter 5:7) says Peter. Even gazing at a beautiful tree, a quiet field or breathtaking sunset, remember, He loves you more than those. He loves you so much He would die for you. And that’s what He did. He died and you live. And while the changes and chances of this life still take its toll – it’s all but fleeting. For the victory has been won. The Kingdom is ours. All that we need has been added unto us through Christ our Savior who shows us the way. And with that – there are NO worries. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.