2026 Reading Plan Reflections - Day 8

Matthew 6 presses right into the tension between appearance and authenticity. Giving, praying, fasting—good, holy practices—can still miss the mark if they’re done to manage impressions instead of nurture relationship. Jesus isn’t anti-discipline. He’s anti-performance.

Before Jesus talks about worry, money, prayer, or daily needs, He grounds us in who God is and who we are.

Seek to know God. Not as a concept, not as a religious taskmaster, but as Father. Over and over again, Jesus says, “your Father knows.” That’s covenant language. That’s relationship.

Understand who you are. You are not an orphan scrambling for approval. You are God’s creation—and more than that, an adopted child. Grace doesn’t just forgive sin; it restores belonging. This is prevenient grace doing its quiet, holy work long before we get our act together.

Be who you were created to be—consistently. Holiness isn’t about being impressive in public and hollow in private. Jesus calls us to an integrated life—one heart, one allegiance, one direction. The same faith on Sunday in the sanctuary is meant to show up on Monday when no one is watching.

Practice faith from identity, not insecurity. The danger isn’t religious practice; it’s religious pretending. When faith becomes box-checking or image-management, it hollows us out. But when prayer, generosity, and fasting flow from love, they become means of grace—channels through which God forms Christlikeness in us.

Remember who you are—always.
Created by the Father. Redeemed by the Son. Filled with the Holy Spirit.

That’s not theological trivia—that’s daily grounding.

So… What Do We Have to Fear?
Jesus ends Matthew 6 by naming the anxiety we all carry: What about tomorrow? What about provision? What about control?

And His answer is blunt and freeing at the same time: “Seek first the kingdom of God.”

When you know whose you are, fear loses its grip.

When your identity is secure, worry stops running the show.

When grace shapes you from the inside out, holiness becomes a response—not a performance.

This is the heart of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus isn’t calling us to try harder. He’s calling us to trust deeper, love fuller, and live truer. And from that place, what have we to worry about or fear?

Very little. Because the Father already knows.