Do Not Worry About Tomorrow: Matthew 6:34 Meaning and Context
Jesus’ words “Take therefore no thought for the morrow” in Matthew 6:34 are often paraphrased as “Do not worry about tomorrow.” He is not commanding careless living or forbidding wise planning. In Matthew 6:25–34, Jesus addresses anxious preoccupation with food, drink, clothing and tomorrow, points His disciples to the Father’s care, and calls them to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first.
What does “do not worry about tomorrow” mean?
Matthew 6:34 teaches believers not to live today under the anxious weight of tomorrow’s imagined troubles. Jesus does not say tomorrow will have no difficulties; He says the opposite—“Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” His point is that disciples should trust their heavenly Father, seek God’s kingdom first, deal faithfully with today, and refuse to carry tomorrow’s trouble before tomorrow arrives.
Matthew 6:34: the Bible verse about worrying about tomorrow
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34, KJV
In older English, “take no thought” does not mean “never think about tomorrow.” In this context it carries the sense of anxious care or worry. That becomes clear because the same section repeatedly addresses being anxious about life’s needs.
Modern readers therefore often express the teaching as: Do not worry about tomorrow.
What is the context of Matthew 6:25–34?
Matthew 6:25–34 belongs to the Sermon on the Mount. Immediately before this section, Jesus speaks about treasure, the eye, and the impossibility of serving both God and mammon. Then He says “therefore” and addresses anxiety about material needs.
Jesus teaches His disciples not to make earthly treasure their ultimate treasure, because the heart follows what it treasures.
Jesus says a person cannot serve both God and mammon. The question is not merely money management, but mastery and allegiance.
Jesus therefore tells His disciples not to be anxiously consumed with food, drink and clothing.
Jesus points to birds and lilies as illustrations of the Father’s care and challenges the disciples’ anxious reasoning.
Jesus again says not to be consumed by “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” because the heavenly Father knows these needs.
Jesus gives the positive priority: seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, then concludes by refusing tomorrow’s anxiety today.
Does “do not worry about tomorrow” mean Christians should not plan?
No. The Bible does not present responsible planning as sinful. Proverbs commends diligence and foresight, and Jesus Himself uses planning illustrations elsewhere. In Luke 14:28, for example, He speaks of someone counting the cost before building a tower.
Wise planning
Looks honestly at responsibilities, prepares where possible, makes decisions humbly and recognizes that outcomes remain outside complete human control.
Anxious preoccupation
Tries to live tomorrow repeatedly in the imagination, carrying feared outcomes today as though they have already happened.
James 4:13–16 also corrects arrogant planning, not planning itself. The problem is speaking about tomorrow as though human beings control it independently of God.
A Christian can therefore prepare for tomorrow without trying to possess tomorrow.
Why does Jesus talk about the birds and the lilies?
Jesus points His disciples to ordinary creation. Birds do not sow, reap or gather into barns in the way humans do, yet the heavenly Father feeds them. Lilies do not labor or spin, yet their beauty becomes an illustration of God’s provision.
Jesus’ argument moves from lesser to greater: if God cares for His creation, His disciples should not reason as though their Father is ignorant of their needs.
This is not a command to stop working. Birds still gather food, and the wider Bible repeatedly commends work. The illustration concerns the Father’s care, not permission for irresponsibility.
The heart of Jesus’ teaching: “your heavenly Father knoweth”
One of the most important statements in the passage comes in Matthew 6:32: your heavenly Father knows that you need these things.
Jesus redirects His disciples from a future they cannot control to a Father who already knows. The comfort of the passage is not that disciples become omniscient about tomorrow. It is that they do not need to be.
This same Father-centered pattern appears earlier in the chapter when Jesus teaches about prayer. Matthew 6:8 says the Father knows what His children need before they ask Him. Jesus still teaches them to pray. God’s knowledge therefore does not make prayer pointless; it grounds prayer in relationship rather than panic.
What does “seek first the kingdom of God” mean in Matthew 6:33?
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33, KJV
Jesus does not merely tell His disciples what not to do. He gives them a positive priority: seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first.
In the Sermon on the Mount, this means ordering life under God’s reign and pursuing the righteousness Jesus has been describing throughout the sermon. It is not a formula for becoming wealthy. “All these things” refers back to the ordinary necessities under discussion—food, drink and clothing.
What does “sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” mean?
Jesus ends with realism. He does not say: “Tomorrow will be easy.” He says each day has enough trouble of its own.
This is one reason Matthew 6:34 is more substantial than generic positive thinking. Jesus acknowledges difficulty while teaching His followers not to borrow future trouble into the present.
Faithfulness is therefore lived in daily scale: today’s prayer, today’s obedience, today’s work, today’s conversation, today’s responsibility.
Tomorrow will call for tomorrow’s faithfulness when tomorrow arrives.
If I worry, does that mean I do not trust God?
Jesus does connect anxiety with “little faith” in Matthew 6:30, so the passage should not be emptied of its challenge. He genuinely calls disciples to trust the Father rather than live dominated by anxiety.
At the same time, the wider Bible does not portray every experience of fear or emotional distress as proof that a person has no faith. Psalm 56:3 says, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” Fear is present, and trust is exercised in the middle of it.
The faithful response to worry is therefore not self-condemnation. It is repeatedly returning the anxious heart to what Jesus says is true: the Father knows, the kingdom comes first, today has enough to carry, and tomorrow belongs to God.
If anxiety is persistent, the live Grace Filled Path guide Prayer for Anxiety: A Calming Christian Prayer for Worry and Fear offers a Bible-centered prayer without treating anxiety as automatic evidence of spiritual failure.
How to apply Matthew 6:34 when you cannot stop worrying about tomorrow
Name tomorrow’s fear
Write down exactly what you are afraid will happen. Vague anxiety becomes easier to examine when it is named.
Separate today from tomorrow
Ask: “Is this something I actually need to handle today, or am I rehearsing a future that has not happened?”
Do today’s responsibility
If a responsible action can be taken today—prepare, call, save, work, apologize, schedule, ask for advice—take it.
Remember that the Father knows
Matthew 6:32 centers trust in the Father’s knowledge of your needs, not in your ability to predict the future.
Reorder your priority
Ask what seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness looks like in this situation before asking how to secure total control.
Pray and release the outcome
Ask clearly for what you need while acknowledging that the final outcome belongs to God.
When the next step is unclear, the live Prayer for Guidance focuses on asking God for wisdom, direction and discernment.
What if tomorrow really does contain something difficult?
Matthew 6:34 does not deny that possibility. Jesus explicitly says each day has trouble of its own. The command is therefore not based on pretending that feared circumstances never happen.
Christian trust rests somewhere deeper: the believer does not know everything about tomorrow, but God is not surprised by tomorrow.
When circumstances remain confusing, the live article How to Trust God When You Don’t Understand What He Is Doing explores biblical trust without pretending pain or uncertainty is easy.
What if I have prayed about tomorrow and God still seems silent?
Jesus’ teaching does not promise that prayer will give you advance knowledge of every future event. Sometimes wisdom is given for the next step rather than the entire path.
Scripture also contains faithful people who wait, lament and continue praying when the answer is not immediate. If that is your situation, read When God Doesn’t Answer Prayers .
A prayer when you are worried about tomorrow
Father, You know what I am afraid tomorrow may bring. You know the outcomes I keep trying to predict and the things I wish I could control.
Help me hear Jesus’ words faithfully. Keep me from carrying tomorrow’s trouble before tomorrow arrives. Show me what responsibility belongs to today and give me wisdom and courage to do it.
Teach me to seek Your kingdom and righteousness first. Keep money, security, approval and control from becoming masters of my heart.
Thank You that You know what I need. Give me daily bread, daily wisdom and daily faithfulness. When fear returns, turn my attention again toward Your character and care.
I place tomorrow in Your hands and ask for grace to obey You today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Other Bible passages about worry, tomorrow and trust
- Philippians 4:6–7: Paul directs anxiety toward prayer, supplication and thanksgiving, followed by the promise of God’s peace guarding heart and mind in Christ.
- 1 Peter 5:7: believers are told to cast anxieties on God because He cares for them.
- Psalm 55:22: the psalmist calls the faithful to cast their burden on the Lord.
- Psalm 56:3–4: fear is acknowledged and turned toward trust.
- Proverbs 3:5–6: trust in the Lord is contrasted with leaning entirely on one’s own understanding.
- James 4:13–16: plans for tomorrow should be made humbly under God’s sovereignty.
- Luke 12:22–31: Luke records a closely related teaching of Jesus about worry, provision and seeking God’s kingdom.
For a broader Scripture collection about faith under pressure, read 30 Bible Verses About Faith: Scriptures for Trusting God in Hard Times .
Continue with these live Grace Filled Path guides
Frequently asked questions about Matthew 6:34
What does Matthew 6:34 mean?
Jesus teaches His disciples not to carry tomorrow’s anxious burden today. He acknowledges that each day has trouble of its own and calls believers to trust their heavenly Father and seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first.
Where does the Bible say “do not worry about tomorrow”?
The teaching comes from Matthew 6:34. In the KJV, Jesus says, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow.” The verse concludes His teaching on anxiety in Matthew 6:25–34.
Does Matthew 6:34 mean I should not plan for the future?
No. Scripture commends wise planning and diligence. Jesus is warning against anxious preoccupation with tomorrow, not responsible preparation.
What does “sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” mean?
It means each day already contains its own troubles. Jesus’ point is that believers should not add tomorrow’s anticipated trouble to today’s actual responsibilities.
What does “seek first the kingdom of God” mean?
In Matthew 6:33, Jesus calls His disciples to place God’s reign and righteousness ahead of anxious pursuit of material security. The verse is not a promise of luxury or wealth.
Does worrying mean I have no faith?
Jesus challenges anxious unbelief, but Scripture also records faithful believers experiencing fear and distress. The biblical response is to keep turning fear toward trust, prayer and faithful action rather than treating every anxious feeling as proof that faith is absent.
How can I stop worrying about tomorrow?
Matthew 6 points toward trusting the Father’s knowledge and care, seeking God’s kingdom first, handling today’s responsibilities, and refusing to carry imagined future trouble before it arrives. Persistent anxiety may also warrant qualified professional care.
Grace Filled Path publishes Bible-centered Christian content about prayer, peace, hope, faith and spiritual growth. This article interprets Matthew 6:34 through the larger context of Matthew 6:19–34 and does not present Jesus’ words as a command against responsible planning or as a prosperity promise. Selected quotations are from the public-domain King James Version. Commercial resources are optional and affiliate relationships are disclosed.