Jesus knows we will be worried. But He urges us: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear” (6:25). Don’t worry, especially in the night, as that will cause you to lose sleep. If you are worried, read Matt 6:33. God will keep His promise to you to give you the things you need. Pray and ask God to supply you your needs. Then sleep in peace. You have every reason to sleep in peace because the Lord has promised to take care of you. How will He do that? You need not worry. He will.
What proof is there? Jesus asks you to consider how birds survive. “They do not sow or reap or store away in barns” (Matt 6:26a). How could they have survived till today?
The only reason is because someone is taking care of them. If not, they couldn’t have survived: Can you survive if you do not work? You can’t. The birds do not work (sow or reap or store away in barns), and yet they survive. This shows that someone—God—is taking care of them. Jesus concludes: “Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matt 6:26b). Jesus means this: you are definitely much more valuable than birds because you are His precious child. If He cares for birds, He will definitely care for you too. You will survive during this economic downturn because God will care of you and your family.
Think about the wild flowers. They are so beautiful. (In other countries, e.g., New Zealand, wildflowers that grow along the road are so beautiful.) Their beauty does not come by chance: someone—God—matched the colours. Jesus concludes: If God bothers to care for flowers which live for only a while, God will also take care for you who is going to live for eternity and who is far more valuable than flowers. Hence Jesus urges you not to be of little faith (Matt 6:30). Trust God. He will take care of you as He cares for birds and flowers who are far less valuable than you.
What you should do instead is this: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matt 6:33): Instead of wasting your time and energy worrying and feeling a sense of self-pity, you should do two things. First, “seek first His kingdom”: desire not the things of the world but desire heavenly rewards found only in God’s kingdom. Think not about earthly benefits but about heavenly benefits. Second, “seek first His righteousness”: spend your energy and time doing “His righteousness,” that is, doing what God commands you to do. Instead of wasting your time worrying, take this time to serve Him, to grow spiritually by reading more Bible, praying more, caring for others, sharing the gospel, and doing things that please God.
By all means, plan for the future, ask God for wisdom to survive, continue to look for another job if you need to, and to do well in your job. But these concerns come second. Your first priority and greatest desire are the things of God: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” Then, what you and your family need to survive “will be given to you as well” (Matt 6:33). Stop worrying. Trust God. Serve God wholeheartedly.