Matthew 6:25-34 teaches that anxiety about food, clothing and tomorrow is not the posture God wants for his people. Jesus calls his listeners to set their deepest concern on God’s kingdom and trust that their heavenly Father knows and provides for what they need.
These words come from the Sermon on the Mount, the long teaching Jesus gave to his disciples and the crowds near the Sea of Galilee. They sit in the middle of a section about money, treasure and loyalty, so the call not to worry follows directly from the question of what you serve.
25 Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? 27 “Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? 28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, 29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? 31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.
Matthew 6:25-34 (WEB)
Matthew 6:25-34 Summary
Jesus begins with a command: do not be anxious for your life, your food, drink or clothing. He backs it with two questions, whether life is not more than food and the body more than clothes. Then he points to the birds, which are fed without sowing or storing, and to the wildflowers, which are clothed more splendidly than Solomon without spinning a thread. If God cares for such things, he will much more care for those who belong to him.
The passage then moves to its conclusion. Worry cannot add a moment to a person’s life, and those who do not know God chase these needs. Jesus tells his hearers to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first, and that the rest will be given. He ends with the familiar line that tomorrow will bring its own worries, and each day has enough trouble of its own.
Context of Matthew 6:25-34
Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community of Jewish followers of Jesus, most likely in the decades after the events it records, and it presents Jesus as the teacher who fulfills and interprets God’s law. The Sermon on the Mount opens the teaching section of the book, and this passage belongs to its third major part, where Jesus explores the true loyalty of the heart.
The verses just before this section speak of the eye as the lamp of the body and warn that no one can serve two masters, God and Mammon. Anxiety is presented as the inner symptom of a divided heart. Jesus is not describing a simple absence of planning but a settled trust that shapes what a person pursues first.
Matthew 6:25-34 Verse by Verse
Philippians 4:6-7
6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
(WEB)
Paul gives a close parallel to Jesus’ teaching, urging believers not to be anxious but to bring every request to God with thanksgiving. The promised peace guards the heart and mind, showing that prayer is the path away from worry.
1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.
(WEB)
Peter invites believers to cast all their anxiety on God because he cares for them. The verse uses the image of handing a heavy load to someone strong enough to carry it.
A Prayer Based on Matthew 6:25-34
Father, you know what I need before I ask, and still I lie awake with worries about food, money, work and the days ahead. Forgive me for trusting my own planning more than your care. Teach me to seek your kingdom first, to ask for what I need today, and to leave tomorrow in your hands.
Help me notice the birds and the flowers as reminders of your faithfulness. When anxiety returns, let it become a prompt to pray and to remember who you are. Give me enough trust to rest in your provision. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Matthew 6:25-34 mean Christians should never plan for the future?
No. Jesus is not forbidding wise planning or hard work, since elsewhere Scripture commends both. He is forbidding the anxiety that treats God as absent or unreliable. Planning done in trust is different from worry that controls the heart.
What does Jesus mean by seeking first the kingdom of God?
It means making God’s rule and his righteousness the central priority of life, shaping decisions, relationships and goals around them. The passage describes this as the first thing rather than one item on a list. Other needs are then addressed within that larger commitment.
Why does Jesus say each day has enough trouble of its own?
The line reminds listeners that a person is asked to live one day at a time. Carrying tomorrow’s weight today drains strength needed for the present. Trusting God means receiving today’s grace for today’s responsibilities.
