How To Never Worry About Money

“You’ll never have to worry about money again, if...” if what? How would you finish that sentence? You’ll never have to worry about money again, if – you win the lottery? That’s a common one. If you could get a better job? If you inherit a large estate? If… what?

Jesus would say to each one of us, right now - you’ll never have to worry about money again. When was the last time you worried about money? There are lots of things that cause us to worry. Most of the time, the “what if’s” cause us to worry. Have you ever had a case of the what if’s?

What if I’m suddenly sick or hurt and unable to work? What if I lose my job, and I have no income, and the unemployment or disability check really isn’t enough to make ends meet. What if my expenses go up? Dental bills. Medical bills. Car repair bills. Home repair bills. What if what if what if.

I would never worry about money again if… what? Jesus talks to us this morning about money. Not worrying, being at peace, being content, being happy – those things have nothing to do with how much money you have, according to Jesus. Those things have everything to do with how much faith you have. You’ll never have to worry about money again, Jesus says today, and he’ll tell you how in these 11 verses from Matthew.

Jesus starts out by telling us why we worry so much about money. It’s because money sometimes is our god. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Sometimes we try to serve two masters in our lives. One master is God: “I love God, and I serve God. He’s my master.” But then, there’s another master…

Money. “I love money. Whenever I get money, I’m always very excited. The more money I have, the happier I am. My goal in life is to get as much money as I possibly can. Yes, I love God. But I also love money.” Is that you?

Jesus tells us today that you can’t serve both. Eventually, one of them has to give. Either you’ll love God and not spend all of your time trying to get money. Or, you’ll love money, and little by little push God out of your life. You can’t love both. And when you try to live that double life, you have problems. You start to worry.

Listen to what Jesus says about worry… “Do not worry about your life.” Jesus isn’t saying, “Don’t plan for the future” or “Don’t save” or “Don’t buy food and clothes” or “Don’t work.” Jesus wants us to do all those things, but without worrying.

And here’s why: “Look at the birds of the air,” Jesus says. They don’t sow or reap. They don’t really do anything for a living. If anything should die of starvation, it should be the birds. But, look at verse 26: “Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” In the eyes of God, you are more valuable than a bird. You are a human being with a soul! If God takes care of the less important creatures – the birds – he will certainly take care of the more important creatures – you.

Jesus also talks about the grass – look at how God clothes the grass of the field with flowers. Aren’t you more important to God than grass? God will take care of you as well.

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Worrying doesn’t help extend your life. If anything, it makes you die sooner - the stress of worrying can kill people. Being nervous and obsessed with your financial future isn’t helpful. And then Jesus, “O you of little faith.”

Isn’t that ultimately why we worry about money? We sometimes have such little faith. We don’t trust the promises of God. He promises to watch over us. He promises to give us what we need for our physical lives – food, clothing, a place to live – the basic necessities of life – God has promised to us. Often times he gives us those things by providing us with work – a way to make money, so that we can buy those things. I promise to take care of you, God says. But we don’t believe. We doubt. “O you, of little faith,” Jesus says.

To worry is a sin. It’s doubting the love of God. It’s questioning God’s wisdom and power.

How good it is that we have a God who forgives us for all the times that we worry. God doesn’t stop taking care of us, even when we doubt him. He takes our sins of doubt and washes them away in the waters of baptism. You are not a doubter, in the eyes of God, because you have been cleansed in the waters of baptism. You have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus died for you, and rose from the dead, and you are loved by God.