Jesus gives us this simple command in Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds.” I’ve always loved watching birds. Whether it is a flock of birds maneuvering as one mass, twisting and twirling through the air; a V-shaped flock of Canada geese flying; the gulls on the lakeshore; a hawk or eagle soaring high and alone—all are beautiful. Jesus likely said this to a group of people as he taught them on a hillside, possibly as a flock of birds flew by. He was saying we need to live without worry, like the birds. The birds aren’t even aware of the Covid pandemic. The birds haven’t been following the Tweet-storm related to the recent election. The birds, as The Message puts it, are “ free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God”. Careless in the care of God. The idea is that knowing how much God cares for us enables us to live a life free from anxiety and worry.
This is not a command to be a bird-brain—someone who is silly or scatterbrained or simply being thoughtless. Birds do work constantly in search of food and water. They instinctively know when to migrate and how to build nests and care for their young. Crows, which are common in our area, are part of the Corvid (not covid) species that include ravens and a number of other birds. They are highly intelligent and effectively communicate details between birds. They’ve been shown to recognize themselves in a mirror (self-awareness) and they use tools—skills formerly thought that only humans and a few higher primates could do. When we cast our cares on the Lord, it doesn’t mean we no longer take care of ourselves and those around us. It means that we no longer worry about the outcome—we do our best and trust God to ensure the results.
In this year of tumultuous events and challenges that seem to be coming from all sides, it’s good for us to listen to the advice of Jesus: “Look at the birds … do not worry … But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Jesus is not advocating for apathy. Instead of wasting our energy with worry, we are to redirect it toward seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Worry is most often a reaction to things outside our control. Seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness is something we can actively pursue. It changes us from being pursued to pursuing, from being chased to chasing after something worthy of our time and energy. I encourage you to pursue God through prayer, worship, soaking, fasting, digging into Scripture, Christ-centered fellowship, and in every way you can so that your life is too full to fit any worry in!