“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:34, MSG).
Borrowing tomorrow’s troubles is simply worrying over the future. It is being obsessed with what could go wrong in the future. Will I live to a ripe old age? Will I be able to buy the car and house of my dreams? Will my contract be renewed? Singles worry about who they will marry. Unemployed youths are concerned and worry whether they will ever clinch the job of their dreams. Many near retirement worry about sustenance after retirement, etc. Worry takes the mind on a roller-coaster ride, and this lead to turmoil, unrest and loss of inner peace. This in turn could have devastating effects physically on us.
Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own troubles” (Matthew 6:34, NKJV). It seems natural for humans to worry about the future, and unnatural not to do so. But Jesus said we should not borrow tomorrow’s trouble and bring it to today. Below are some thoughts to consider:
1) Make God Priority: Jesus said that the Gentiles or non-believers are greatly concerned about things i.e. what to put on, what to drive, what to eat, etc. Things determine their moods. They are ecstatic when they have things, depressed when they don’t have things, and are anxious when it appears things may elude them. In other words, these people live for things. As believers, God knows we need things in this earthly realm but it is wrong for things to become our focus and what we exist for. God should be our center of existence, and giving Him His rightful place in our lives guarantees He takes care of us (Scripture reference: Matthew 6:30-33).
2) God has you covered: Hundreds of years before King Herod massacred children two years and below in Bethlehem and its regions, God had spoken through Prophet Jeremiah to comfort the wailing mothers, and also to assure them they will be comforted and that there is hope in their future (Jeremiah 31:15-17). As children of God, our lives are already written out scripts. Cooperating with God through faith, trust and obedience guarantees the glorious future we carry within us and delivers our destinies to us.
3) Lend a hand towards tomorrow: Rather than keep borrowing tomorrow’s troubles, better to lend a hand towards tomorrow. We lend a hand towards tomorrow by solving part of tomorrow’s challenges today even before tomorrow comes. We can solve part of tomorrow’s financial challenges by investing part of our income today. We can study hard at school so as to be prepared for the job of our dreams. We can cultivate a God fearing lifestyle so as to be prepared for our marriage partner when the time comes. Planning is both a human and spiritual activity. Someone said, God gave us brains to think that we might give Him some time to rest. “A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences” (Proverbs 22:3, TLB).
CONCLUSION: Someone said worry is a pagan’s prayer. Jesus said it is an indication of little faith in God (Matthew 6:30). Receive grace to replace your worries with rest and certainty about the future in Jesus name. There is hope in your future!
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
