Mat 6:34 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.
Is it possible that while we are busy worrying about tomorrow that we neglect the things of today?
You've heard the saying- tomorrow never comes, right? A lot of people would dispute this, but it's true. Events you are waiting for come and go, but when that event comes - there is still another tomorrow. It's events we worry about, future events. Do you think some future events warrant worrying over? A loved one ill? A test to be taken? A court hearing to attend to? Test results to get? Bills that need paying? All of those sound like pretty good things to be worrying about if you're going to worry but you've also had to have heard the saying- worrying changes nothing. That's true too, isn't it? What does worrying accomplish? Does it really help us? It sure doesn't ease our minds because it's our minds that are churning as we worry. We say we can't help but worry and as a BORN worrier, I've sure said that exact thing a number of times myself. I was born that way and that sure seems to be the case. Born that way or not, we are not supposed to be 'born' worriers. We aren't supposed to worry at all. We DO neglect the HERE and NOW when we focus on the worries of tomorrow. Right here and now we have NO control over tomorrow. We don't even know for certain we'll wake up tomorrow, do we? When we do wake up there are a lot of things that remain out of our control. We can't control another's thoughts, we can't control another's feelings. We can let our imagination run wild and IMAGINE all sorts of things others might think or do, or even feel, but the bottom line is our imaginative thoughts are NOT factual.
Do we have to provide for our future? Are there certain things we should do for our futures? Is it wise to lay up goods for winter? It used to be more so before we had grocery stores to go to year round that provide for us. We need to save money for future necessities, right? We need to save money to pay our bills, yes? To a certain point we do have to do these things but never to an obsessive point that proves more than anything else that we are looking to the future as if we know it's ours to have and we are providing for ourselves- without God's hand being involved at all. While we do strive to provide as God provides for us to do so, it should never be done worrying the entire time, should it? No. If the day comes and we have no food then we have to ask that God's will be done in our lives. If the day comes when we lose the home we have for one reason or another, we still need to ask that God's will be done in our lives. We have NO clue what the results of the hardships will be in our lives. We have no idea what sadness will contribute to our ability to show compassion later. The thing is we have to admit we are NOT in control of our lives as much as we like to believe we are.
God is in control of our lives as we surrender to Him and no matter what befalls us God's overall plan for our lives leading us towards the kingdom of heaven will be done. As we suffer through this temporary existence - mentally, physically, emotionally- we must have FAITH that God's will is done and all our worrying helps nothing- but only reveals that our faith needs to grow.
Every bit of worry is another opportunity for a leap of faith. We can choose to embrace the worry and all that means for us, or choose to acknowledge the potential we have to worry and then take that leap of faith by choosing not to indulge in the worrying. Every time we find ourselves being drawn back towards the thing begging us to be worried over we have to pray for the faith to leave it to God- because we know our worry accomplishes NOTHING.
Back to this…
Mat 6:34 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.
Is it possible that while we are busy worrying about tomorrow that we neglect the things of today?
It is VERY possible that we do NOT live for today even while we are living that day and HOW much is missed of the day spent engrossed in worry over tomorrow? If we are constantly living in worry for tomorrow we lose all our today's to worry. It's no wonder that Jesus felt the need to teach us that we are not to dwell on tomorrow because today has enough in it to be concerned about. Why should we worry about losing salvation tomorrow and neglect the idea that we could lose it today?
We are taught to pray for DAILY bread, not weekly bread, not monthly bread, not yearly bread- but DAILY bread- this goes hand in hand with taking notice of TODAY, not tomorrow.
May our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ forgive us of our worrying and help us to give the day we are living more attention than tomorrow.
By His GRACE, by HIS LOVE.
Through His righteousness forever!
Amen.
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