Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Matthew 6:25 KJV
Context and Charge:
Jesus, speaking to his disciples seated with him on the mountain, highlights the importance of our thoughts. Whatever is able to hold my thoughts, good or bad, becomes the focus of my heart and life. Long before I act, there is a processing that goes on in my heart, so that the actions that follow fully reflect those thoughts. There is actually nothing like 's/he acted thoughtlessly'. It may not be a good outcome, but we all act based on the contents of our hearts. It then means that my main assignment is to guard my thoughts so they can lead to the outcomes God intends.
Jesus asks me to take no thoughts. He did not ask me not to plan for the future, but to make adequate provisions but leaving room for God to lay out His own plans. It means I must not be obsessed with what I want, but be conscious of what God wants for and from me. I must view life's provisions as part of the package of God for me, and not allow them rule over my life. After all, no matter how much I eat now, my body will process that which has gone in, expel that which it does not need, and in a few hours, I would have to do it all again.
Contention and Conclusion:
No matter how fine the clothes are, at some point, due to constant washing and treatment, they would wear out or become small, and would need to be replaced. Are these the things that should take up my heart so much that they become sources of worry and anxiety? Whatever this earthly body needs will come from the earth, and because this earth is temporary, nothing it provides or promises can last forever. I must take that all it provides and use well, but be mindful that they do not become sources of worry to me.
While I am on earth, I must pursue that which is of eternal value. Food and drink are good, but they only nourish the body. Clothes are good, but they only cover the physical body. These have spiritual equivalents, with the soul also requiring spiritual food as well as spiritual armour. This earthly phase is too short for me to focus only on that which the physical body needs; I must also prepare for eternity. God promises to do both: take care of the physical as well as the spiritual. If he's in charge, I need not worry. God's time of favour is here.
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