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We live in an anxious society. According to a 2006 survey by the Center for Disease Control, more than 11% of Americans were told by a physician that they had anxiety at some point in their lives. Out of 35 states that participated in the survey, nine of them had diagnoses of depression in more than 19% of their population. With the current state of the economy as well as the unemployment rate, there is nothing to say those rates will come down anytime soon.
That makes this passage in Matthew all the more relevant. It's as if Jesus is speaking to twenty-first-century America here. We are so worried about our circumstances and what we have. Worry, according to Jesus, will not add a single hour to our life. The CDC reports that anxiety and depression can actually shorten life because of an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, and obesity. Jesus' solution? "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (v. 33).
That makes this passage in Matthew all the more relevant. It's as if Jesus is speaking to twenty-first-century America here. We are so worried about our circumstances and what we have. Worry, according to Jesus, will not add a single hour to our life. The CDC reports that anxiety and depression can actually shorten life because of an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, and obesity. Jesus' solution? "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (v. 33).
