What is the most useless and unproductive thing most of us do very often? I would say the most worthless thing we do is worry! And yet, I ask you, how many days go by you don’t worry about something? It just seems to be the place our thoughts go to when we experience any level of uncertainty or fear or lack of control.

Jesus fully understood our propensity to worry, and he addressed it strongly in his Sermon on the Mount. From Matthew 6 we read:

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these…So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For…your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:25-34).

In this sermon Jesus gave us three reasons not to worry.

First, if you are a born-again Christian, you should not worry because of who you are! Jesus said God takes care of little birds, and even though they are not capable of taking care of their need for food, he provides food for them. And Jesus asks, “Are you not more valuable than they?”

Are you more valuable to God than little birds? Surely the knowledge of how much God loves you, how deeply he cares for you should cause you to stop worrying. After all, our Heavenly Father is sovereign over everything and everyone in your life; he is always in control, and because you are his child, he has pledged to take care of your needs. That’s the first reason you should not worry—because you are a child of God, and he never leaves you or forsakes you.