Matthew 6:24-34: Worry Accomplishes NOTHING

We—I—worry about so much. Anxiety has always been something I struggle with. Yet Jesus says plainly that worry accomplishes nothing. So what do we worry about?

We worry about finances, health, kids, aging parents, retirement.

We worry about running out of money.

Often, we worry because we feel responsible for things only God can control. And when life feels out of control, worry steps in and tries to fill the gap.

Matthew 6:24–34 speaks directly to worry. I’m including verse 24 at the beginning of this section because I believe the entire passage is written using a literary device common in ancient Jewish writing called a chiasm.

A chiasm (or chiasmus) is a structure where ideas are presented in a certain order and then repeated in reverse order—like a mirror. This form puts the main point at the center, not at the beginning or the end, which is very different from our Western way of writing.

Here is the passage with the chiastic structure highlighted:

A: No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and money.

B: Therefore I tell you, do not worry… Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

C: Look at the birds… Your heavenly Father feeds them.

D: Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

C′: See how the flowers of the field grow… Will He not much more clothe you?

B′: So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?”

A′: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness… Therefore do not worry about tomorrow.

The section begins by establishing the issue of loyalty: you cannot serve God and money. It ends with the solution: seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and God will provide what you truly need. “All these things” refers to food, clothing, and the necessities of life—things we are meant to trust God for rather than money.

The B/B′ sections both command, “Do not worry.”

The C/C′ sections point to illustrations from nature—God cares for birds and lilies. If He cares for them, how much more for us?

At the center is D, the heart of the structure:

Worry accomplishes NOTHING.

It cannot change your height or extend your life.

On a side note, the Greek word hēlikia (ἡλικία) can mean either height or age. Translators disagree—but the meaning is the same either way:

• “You can’t add a single hour to your life.”

• “You can’t add a single cubit to your height.”

Either way, the point stands: worry changes nothing.

In a chiasm, the center is the main point. While Western writers put the point at the beginning or end (or both), Hebrew writers often put it right in the middle. In this A–B–C–D–C′–B′–A′ structure, D carries the weight.

And the central message is simple and devastatingly true:

Worry is powerless to change anything God alone controls.

Look again at the examples from nature: birds don’t have 401(k)s. Lilies don’t sew clothing or store up supplies. And yet they are fed and clothed each day.

Most of us aren’t worried about having food or clothing.

But we are worried about whether we’ll have enough to maintain the lifestyle we think we should have.

That fear leads us to hoard, cling, and withhold generosity.

We stop trusting God for “daily bread” and instead try to control tomorrow.

Worry is ultimately a sign that we want to be in control.

And it steals our joy in the process.

If worry cannot add a single inch to my height or a single moment to my life, then why do I give it the power to control my heart?

This is easy to understand intellectually but hard to practice emotionally. I struggle with worry and doubt myself. Yet Jesus reminds me again:

Worry accomplishes NOTHING.

And so He invites us into something better:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

A Note on Anxiety

I want to end with something important. When Jesus tells us not to worry, He is addressing the kind of everyday anxiety that comes from trying to control the future or trusting money more than God. But that is not the same as clinical anxiety—the kind that can feel overwhelming, intrusive, or debilitating.

If you struggle with clinical anxiety, panic attacks, or depression, Jesus’ words here are not meant to shame you. He is not saying, “If you had more faith, you wouldn’t feel this way.” Sometimes our bodies and minds need the help of doctors, counselors, or medication. Seeking that help is not a lack of faith—it is an act of wise stewardship over the life God has entrusted to you.

Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 is an invitation to trust, not a condemnation of those who suffer. His compassion extends to every kind of anxiety, and His care for you is deeper than your struggle.