Worry doesn't belong to you.

In the scriptures (Matthew 6 KJV), it sounds like Jesus is telling us not to think at all about certain things related to daily provision and survival. But in the Greek text, the word used is merimnáō (μεριμνάω), which means: to be anxious, overly concerned, distracted with worry.
 

It’s not about refusing to plan or refusing to think, but about not letting your mind and heart be consumed with fearful, anxious thought. So, in modern English, the best rendering would be: “Do not be anxious” or “Do not worry.”

In Matthew 6:25–34, He gives examples of need: food, drink, clothing, and tomorrow’s needs. He’s not saying:

• Never consider what you’ll eat or wear.
• Never plan for tomorrow.
   

He is saying:

• Don’t let your life, your speech, or your energy be driven by anxiety about survival and provision.
• Don’t live as though the Father doesn't know what you need and won’t take care of you.

We take thought (negatively) in two main ways:

A. Inwardly – in the mind/heart (thinking):

• Worry loops, imagining worst-case scenarios.
   
• Distracted thoughts that steal focus from seeking God’s Kingdom.
   
• Fear-driven mental rehearsals (“What if I lose this job? What if I don’t have enough?”).
   

B. Outwardly – in our words (speaking):

• Jesus shows this in Matthew 6:31: “Therefore take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?’”
   
• Notice: the thought is “taken” when it becomes spoken fear.
   
• Our speech exposes what we’ve allowed in our minds, and it can reinforce worry.

A. Inwardly – controlling the mind:

•  We meditate on our Creator’s faithfulness rather than on “what ifs.” 

• We submit our anxious thoughts to God (Phil. 4:6–7).
   
• We replace worry with seeking first the Kingdom (Matt. 6:33).
   

B. Outwardly – controlling the tongue:

• We refuse to voice worry, panic, or fear as the final truth.
   
• Instead, we speak faith: “My Father knows my needs,” “The Lord is my Shepherd,” “He shall supply all my needs.”
   
• By doing this, we align our speech with God’s provision instead of our fears.

 Balance

• We are not forbidden to plan wisely. (Proverbs commends diligence and foresight).
   
• We are warned against the kind of worry that:
   
  • Dominates our inner life,
     
  • Comes out of our mouths in anxious confessions,
     
  • Distracts from God.
     

So “taking thought” means grabbing hold of anxious thoughts, meditating on them, and voicing them as your expectation.

“Not taking thought” means rejecting anxiety, trusting the Father, and aligning both your mind and mouth with faith.

It refers to both thinking and speaking.  

Worry starts in the mind, but is “taken” and empowered when we give it life through both our thoughts and words.   Proverbs 18:21: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words. 

We are called to shift from anxious thought-and-speech to faith-filled thought-and-speech, anchored in a God’s fatherly care.