Matthew 6:25-34 is Jesus teaching his followers not to be consumed by anxiety about food, drink, and clothing, because their heavenly Father knows what they need and cares for them. The passage asks you to set your priorities on God’s kingdom and righteousness, and to take life one day at a time instead of carrying tomorrow’s worries today.
These verses sit in the Sermon on the Mount, the long teaching Jesus gives to crowds and disciples early in his public ministry. They follow directly on his warning that no one can serve two masters, and they lead into the wider call to store up treasure in heaven and live with a single, undivided focus on God.
25 Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? 27 “Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? 28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, 29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? 31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.
Matthew 6:25-34 (WEB)
Matthew 6:25-34 Summary
Jesus begins with a command: do not be anxious about your life. He then gives two arguments. First, life is more than food and the body more than clothing, so God who gave the greater gifts will not withhold the lesser ones. Second, he points to the birds, which neither sow nor store, and the wildflowers, which neither spin nor labor, yet are cared for by the Father. Human worry, he notes, cannot add a single moment to a person’s life.
The passage then turns to a positive instruction. Instead of chasing the things that unbelievers pursue, the disciples are to seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness first, with the promise that the necessities will follow. The passage closes with a practical rule: leave tomorrow to tomorrow, because each day has enough trouble of its own.
Context of Matthew 6:25-34
Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community of Jewish believers and was likely shaped by a teaching concern for faithful discipleship. The Sermon on the Mount presents Jesus as a new teacher of the law, calling his followers to a righteousness that goes deeper than outward religious performance. Within that sermon, the teaching on money and anxiety is part of a larger call to single-hearted devotion to God.
The verses just before this passage describe the eye as the lamp of the body and warn that no one can serve both God and wealth. That warning sets the stage: anxiety about provision is what happens when a person’s heart is divided. The verses that follow this passage repeat the call to judge others gently and to ask, seek, and knock, showing that trust and generosity belong together in the life of faith.
Matthew 6:25-34 Verse by Verse
Philippians 4:6-7
6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
(WEB)
Paul gives the same antidote to anxiety that Jesus does: bring every request to God with thanksgiving. The promised peace guards the heart and mind, offering rest that does not depend on having every answer in hand.
1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.
(WEB)
Peter invites believers to hand over all their worries to God because he cares for them. The verse echoes the Sermon on the Mount’s assurance that the Father attends to his children.
A Prayer Based on Matthew 6:25-34
Father, you know what I need before I ask, and still my mind keeps circling around food, money, and what might go wrong tomorrow. Teach me to set my heart on your kingdom and your righteousness first. Help me notice the birds and the wildflowers around me as reminders of your steady care. When worry rises, bring me back to the one step I can take today, and give me the trust to leave the rest in your hands. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Matthew 6:25-34 mean Christians should never plan for the future?
No, the passage forbids anxiety rather than planning. Jesus elsewhere commends wise stewardship, and the ant and the prudent builder are used as examples of foresight. The concern is a heart that is consumed by fear about what God will or will not provide.
What does it mean to seek first God’s kingdom?
To seek God’s kingdom first means making his rule and his way of righteousness the highest priority in your decisions, relationships, and use of time. It does not mean ignoring daily responsibilities, but ordering them under God’s purposes.
Why does Jesus mention the Gentiles in verse 32?
The Gentiles in this context are the surrounding peoples who did not know the God of Israel and so pursued security through material things alone. Jesus contrasts them with his followers, who have a Father who already knows and cares for their needs.
