Luke 12:22 tells us "do not worry", from verses 22 to 34 we read that we should not concern ourselves with worry for anything because "your father knows [what] you need".
In Matthew 6:25-34 we read "do not worry about your life (v25)...who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (v27)...do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself (v34)"
And this got me thinking...I worry about everything! Literally every single thing big or small: I worry about what I'm going to wear, whether I'll get somewhere on time, whether I'll get my train, whether things will go to plan, whether I said or did the right thing, what will I do after I finish university, where will I live, will I have enough money, where will I work, my health, the health of loved ones...will my life pan out the way I'm planning it?!...and the truth is, none of that matters! It really doesn't!
I know how easy it is to get caught up in worry, and to let it consume your thoughts and your actions, and the world of today tells us that these are important things worth worrying about: it's exhausting and it can be stressful, but these verses and chapters have challenged me to stop.
God has it all in hand, He has a plan for me and for you and He sees the big picture. And when you consider that, the little picture -the one that I worry about - that involves appearance and timing and day-to-day planning, is really insignificant.
When I look back at all the worries of my life, all the things that have consumed my thoughts and tormented my mind with worry, they weren't worth all that stress and time and effort: I have never been without everything I need; I have never been homeless; I have never been without food or water; I have never been without clothes to wear...God has taken care of me for 20 years, providing me with all I need, so why should I worry that in the near future that will stop? Why worry, when I know he's got me?!
My worries are futile and pointless and panicking about them achieves nothing.
One bad outfit really won't affect my life, but the beauty God sees in my heart defines me. Whether I'm 10 minutes early or 5 minutes late really won't change much, but Gods timing is perfect and it is everything. Whether or not my weekend goes exactly to plan will not be the be-all and end-all of my life, but Gods plan for me is perfect and His plan for me is a wonderful life full of perfect moments that don't go the way I planned.
So the next time you find yourself concerned or worrying and starting to feel overwhelmed: stop, sit down, relax, concentrate your everything on the kingdom of heaven, say a prayer to your father, and I promise you - and even more than that - He promises you, that He will provide what you need, and He will help you work things out.
At the end of the day, the Bible teaches us that worldy things don't matter, and aren't worth your worries. The only possession you should worry about having and protecting, is your heart. Leave the rest to God, because He loves you, and like the ultimate Father that He is, He will provide everything else that you need.
"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" - Matthew 6:34
So give your worries to God, relax and enjoy your day!