The Norm Of Reciprocity Series

25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look 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? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” 32For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6: 25-33; NRSV)

This passage tells us than even two thousand years ago, people were worried about ‘making it’. But even though two millennia have passed, the words of Christ are still true and are applicable to us as well; He wants us to:

• Stop worrying about our lives and resources

• Give God’s will first place in our lives and resources

• Expect that God will take care of our lives and resources

In short, if we serve faithfully as God’s stewards, then He will serve faithfully as our steward.