34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Matthew 6:34 (NLT)
Worry review
Jesus is concluding his teaching on worry. The context is the sermon on the mount which instructs us how to live the Christian life – to understand the OT law in the proper way, to avoid the showiness and hollowness of religion, and focus on the important things, the heavenly things. He just gave us a nice summary of the topic of worry. In today’s “worry reprise”, He gives very practical instruction: live for today; don’t worry about tomorrow.
Live for today
Have you ever been stuck in a “what-if worry loop”? You think about a situation and wonder what will happen. Then if that thing happens, what will happen next? As you continue, your level of anxiety increases. For example, retirement. When and where should you retire? Who will take care of you if you can’t care for yourself? What happens if that person dies or moves away? Stop it. Back up to a simple trust in the Lord, that He has everything in control. Reconsider this reflection from yesterday.
Toss planning out the window
A word of caution. Jesus is not preaching fatalism, “eat, drink for tomorrow we die”. Of course we need to plan for the future. But where is the inflection point between planning and worrying? There is no specific measure, it’s a conviction from the Spirit in you. But I can suggest that if you become obsessed with your plans and think about them often and with trepidation, then you’ve moved into worry.
Worry summary
Barnes does a nice job summarizing this section on worry: “The morrow shall have anxieties and cares of its own, but it shall also bring the proper provision for those cares. Though you shall have wants, yet God will provide for them as they occur. Do not, therefore, increase the cares of this day by borrowing trouble respecting the future. Do your duty faithfully now, and depend on the mercy of God and his Divine help for the troubles which are yet to come. (Barnes’ commentary)
RЯeflection
- What will happen tomorrow, next week, next year? Do you find yourself thinking too much about the future on earth? Re-ground yourself in Jesus’ teaching here on worry. Know God. Trust Him. Lay up treasure in Heaven. Do the good works He prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10)
