Luke 12:22-34 (ESV)

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, 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, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

There’s an important point in the middle of this passage that’s easy to miss. Jesus says. “Consider the lilies, 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 that’s not the end. Next He says, “But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!”

The bit about the lilies isn’t quite so simple. Their splendor is short lived. The ovens await.

So, there are two reasons why you shouldn’t worry. God will provide, and life is short. That second one is perfectly logical but curiously discomforting. Life is short, and that’s supposed to be a relief. This takes some getting used to but the idea is all over the New Testament.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. – Philippians 1:21 (ESV)

As Kenny Chesney puts it, “Everybody want to go to heaven, but nobody want to go now.”

We tend to look forward to heaven in word but not in deed. We look forward to retirement, why are we afraid of Christianity’s retirement plan? Compared to how unfulfilling most folks find earthly retirement, heaven is bound to be, well, heaven.

We need to wipe off the residue of our old way of thinking. The kingdom perspective should dominate our lives. This doesn’t mean living as a monk, just having kingdom goals.

But this can never be done by trying. Only the Holy Spirit can cure us of loving this life. Note that we are not called to hate this life; we are called to love the kingdom and the king more.

It’s like loving school but still looking forward to graduating.

The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies