Daily Devotional | A New Attitude

What do you worry about? What is pressing on your heart today? As Jesus preached on the hillside, He must have sensed that people had concerns about their next meal or providing for their household’s daily needs. Our text comes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, but it was most likely a message He had often communicated. Jesus implored His listeners to shift their thinking when it came to anxiety and worry. He wanted His followers to have a new type of attitude and perspective.

In this short section of His sermon, He uses the word “worry” or “anxious” six times. We know from reading other portions of Scripture that it is good to remember the past and prepare for the future, but Jesus reminds us here, that our attitude needs to be one of reliance on God in the present. In His sermon, he uses visual aids to get His message across to His listeners. First, while most likely pointing to the birds flying on the shoreline, Jesus reminds His listeners of the ease at which the birds were able to find food and how much more valuable people are to God than the birds (v. 26).

Then Jesus points to the flowers growing in the fields off in the distance (v. 28). Just as flowers grow with beauty and simplicity, Jesus teaches that His followers should not worry about the past or the future. Instead, seeking first the kingdom of God ought to be on the forefront of our minds. While it is challenging not to worry, especially after a year like 2020, we can follow Jesus’ reminder to rely on God’s provision and protection every day and to live for Him.

>> This passage doesn’t say that we will never worry, it does reframe our worries as children of God. God is our provider. He knows our past, our present, and our future. Nothing escapes His control. Write down your worries today and bring them to God in prayer.

Pray with Us

We confess that we often allow yesterday’s regrets and tomorrow’s worries to rule our thoughts. Lord, today we submit our anxieties to you, remembering that you are the one who gives us our daily bread.

BY Dr. Chris Rappazini

Dr. Chris Rappazini is Associate Professor of Pastoral Studies at Moody Bible Institute. He is the former President of the Evangelical Homiletics Society and previously served as an Associate Minister of Preaching and Teaching in Spokane, Washington. Chris and his wife, Ashley, and their children reside in Northwest Indiana.