When You Worry, Look To The Birds

Do you ever worry?

I do.

And Jesus knew I would.

Jesus had some long talks about worry. He once said:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

When Jesus said look to the birds of the air, he used the Greek word emblép­sate. The word means more than just a casual glance, it implies a deep, intentional gaze.

In other words, when learning to deal with worry, Jesus wasn't calling us to simply look at the birds. He wanted us to really watch them - to discover the truth of his promises.

Birds don't hoard much of what they need in life. They wake up each morning and search for what they need for that day. And they almost always find it. If we watch the birds - intently - we'll discover that today is where we’ll most often find what we need.

Today is where our faith grows most.

Worry often comes from needing assurances today that tomorrow will be worry-free.

Has anyone ever received such assurances?

Isn’t it a gift, really, that tomorrow never crosses the mind of a bird?

Have you ever noticed that when a storm is coming, the birds are singing? And even before the storm has cleared and the sun has returned, they’re singing again. Maybe birds are reminding us that worry is a wake-up call - not to run, but to worship.

How often, in the midst of our worries, do we try to plow forward in our own strength, while God is waiting for our invitation to navigate those worries with us?

The next time the skies turn grey, maybe listen to the birds sing.

And have you ever noticed a bird’s nest? Hardly a fortress. And yet, they sleep soundly. Birds don’t build homes to feel in control of their safety. They build spaces that allow them to rest—as if their safety has been turned over to something larger than themselves.

I find it fascinating. Jesus - the Lord of all - addressing a battle he knew we’d all face: worry.

And his advice?

Look to the birds.

He didn’t point us to kings. Or pastors. Or experts.

Look to the birds, he said. Emblép­sate.

Jesus finished his talk on worry by encouraging us:

“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Some of us will battle our whole lives and never come to understand this.

At least not the way the birds do.

Look to the birds. Emblép­sate.