I’ve never cared much for flowers. They smell like a funeral home, they are hard to keep alive, and they are pretty expensive. I’ve never had a favorite flower or wanted my husband to gift them to me or plant them in our yard. It’s not that I didn’t like them, but I was mostly just indifferent to them. That is, until a couple of weeks ago, when I read a scripture in Matthew that I had previously read hundreds of times.
Matthew 6:25-31 states,“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” ESV (emphasis mine).
This passage begins with the Lord instructing us with seemingly simple instructions. “Do not be anxious about your life, clothing, or food. And He’s God, so He could have left it there. But one of my favorite things about Jesus is that he knows us. He knew that simply saying “don’t worry about it” wouldn’t be enough, although it should be enough if we fully trust Him. He uses two analogies, one of which is that he compares us with birds, which is another beautiful analogy, and the other is flowers, which is where this scripture knocked me off my feet. In verse 28, He begins with the word “Consider.”
“Consider,” in this context, doesn’t mean to merely look at with a passing glance but to study, to learn by heart until you have realized every beauty of structure, form, and hue. He’s not saying, “Hey, look at the pretty flowers I made you,” but instead, he says, “Inspect the flowers, how they grow, their innate beauty, memorize their colors, structure.” Lilies and wildflowers were terms used interchangeably in those days. Jesus compares us, his children, to beautiful flowers. I don’t know about you all, but it is hard for me to slow down enough to take the time to really CONSIDER anything, especially something as intricate or beautiful as flowers. But, hear how Jesus talks about the flowers, what he wants us to consider: how they grow, that they neither toil, which is an analogy to men in this time working the land, or spin, which is an analogy to men in this time preparing the clothing.
Flowers just let God do His thing, and the result is they are taken care of and grow beautifully. They don’t labor, they don’t worry, and God takes care of them. They just get to “soak up the sun.”
Then, He says, “Yet, I tell you, even Solomon in all His glory was not arrayed like one of these.” With Solomon’s royal position, he would’ve been adorned with beautiful white or purple robes, which were regarded as some of the most majestic and beautiful things at that time. And those robes that Solomon wore were not even close in comparison to the majesty and beauty of the lilies and wildflowers. And if God clothes the grass, which we walk on and is easily scorched, better than he clothed Solomon, He will clothe us much more than that.
If God takes care of the birds and flowers in such intricate, purposeful ways, He will take care of us, His children, much more. Now, every time I see flowers, my mind is changed. I see their intricate designs and the different ways they grow, and I am thankful that God takes care of us. I am thankful that, being the good God he is, He uses His Creation to remind us that he is the ultimate Caretaker, and because of that, we don’t need to be anxious.
Billy Graham, in “A Care for the Anxious Heart,” said:
“Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered on anything short of God and His will for us. When we make anything else our goal, frustration and defeat are inevitable. Turn your eyes on Christ; worship Him. He will never fall or fail. He gives life balance, security and peace…
… We create our own troubles and then try to cure them without God. But mankind’s self-sufficiency is playing out. We are awakening to the fact that our spiritual infirmity can be cured only by the Great Physician, and that the remedies He indicated are as valid today as they were when He prescribed them. Christ says: “Come unto me … and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).”
Anxiety is overtaking our minds, our nation, and our world. We need to stop creating our own troubles and trust in the God who gives us rest. And maybe, just maybe, plant some flowers as a reminder.
Kristie Fowler
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#kristiefowlerblogs