READ: Matthew 6:34 – Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
CHALLENGE: Don’t Worry
- DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE
Don’t worry. What is that anyway? It’s when you’re anxious, fretting, and experiencing undue concern. You’re nervous about something and battling that uneasy feeling. Perhaps even doing a little hand wringing. It’s typically something that monopolizes your heart’s concerns.
We live in a world where we often hear the word, “anxiety”. 1 out of every 5 people are said to have an “anxiety disorder”. Americans are voicing concerns about current events, the economy, gun violence, keeping their family safe, health, etc. We have a continuous news cycle with lots of bad news and that can be a dark place to park your mind.
Plus, you have all kinds of fringe teachings and conspiracy theories on TikTok and YouTube and other social media sites. Some of these influencers will make you scared of chem trails, the mark of the beast and a host of other things. I caution you that there is so much misinformation out there. If you get stuck in a hydraulic of negative thinking, it can suck you down into anxiety and keep you under. Then you get negative about life and the world and that thinking gets entrenched because you’re only interacting with people who think like you do. And then you start thinking the entire planet is a terrible place and it’s not! Don’t drink the Kool-Aid!
We have drones flying in the skies of Jersey and no one has an answer for it. Do all of these things upset you? If looking at the news or social media is making you upset, stop looking at it. If it’s stealing your peace, tune it out.
I remember 30 years ago hearing about how the end was coming and they were handing me books about the conspiracies and how it was a one world order and there was so much fretting. My response? I’m not worried about it. If God wants the world to end, it’s going to end. I’m not here to stop it. You’re not going to stop it. Stop worrying about the future.
Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
We also have normal concerns might zero in on projects, relationships, deadlines, events, bills, sports, etc. What are you worried about these days? What’s monopolizing your thoughts. Jesus said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow”. If it’s on the horizon, don’t sweat it!
Worry is the opposite of faith because fear can only exist in a climate of doubt. You’re typically not worried when you place the issue completely in God’s hands! We tend to worry when we’re trying to carry that load, forgetting that Bible says to pitch our anxiety onto God (1 Peter 5:7).
We should be concerned for the welfare of others both spiritually and physically. Jesus was so anguished about the cross that he was sweating blood. Paul was concerned for all of the churches (2 Corinthians 11:28). We are to have “equal concern” for each other (1 Corinthians 12:25). Genuine concern for people is commended in the Bible (Philippians 2:20-21). I know I’ve had concerns for my family and for folks here. These are healthy concerns.
Jesus says that we should not fret as if God does not have it under control. Jesus has already given us reasons not to worry earlier in chapter 6.
- God takes care of the birds of the air and you’re more valuable
V26 – Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
You don’t see birds driving John Deere tractors or building barns, yet God takes care of them. You’re way more valuable. This simple bird analogy has been helping people for years and it’s been a great reminder for me. God takes care of the wildlife!
I saw four deer gathered beneath an apple tree out back. I have never seen that tree produce like it did last year and I left the apples on the ground. The deer were gathered in the snow eating away. That’s God’s provision.
I feed the birds and I was a little low one day. A bird came and landed on a chair and was staring through the kitchen window at me as if to say, “Get out here, we’re hungry”. In that case, God is using me to feed his creation.
Are you not much more valuable than a bird? You are, so don’t worry. God will meet your needs. This really shows the dependability of God. In the book of Job, God talked about watering a land no one even inhabited. He talked about the ravens crying out to him and how He met their needs. You’re more important than that – God will meet needs and help you out.
- You can’t add a one of anything to your life by worrying
V27 – Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
I’m not saying that I don’t wake up at night and think about things. Yes, there are things that concern us. However, you cannot change anything by worrying and fretting. On the other hand, it’s a great recipe for getting ulcers. We can pray about it but worrying about things doesn’t add a plus to any equation. It’s unproductive and unhealthy so there’s no point in doing it.
I remember one day feeling so burdened for some wayward people I loved. It was dominating me. I wondered what it felt like for Jesus to have it all him at the cross. I realized in that moment that these burdens were not for me to carry. I was not built to handle that kind of weight in my soul so I left it with God. Ultimately, he worked out my concerns. No amount of worrying changed anything.
- God clothes the field flowers
V30 – If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
There is so much beauty in the world. In the summer, our fields are full of Queen Anne’s Lace, Golden Rod, Joe Pie Weed, Aster, Iron weed. There are so many beautiful colors. I love running the trail in the late spring and early summer when the phlox is in season because it smells so good. God bestows SO much beauty on plants that come and go. It’s so much more than just mundane drab brown leaves. God brings beauty to our world. That’s all God! Many of us care about our surroundings and making them more beautiful. God cares about the world and you are an important part of that.
Since God takes care of the flowers so well, He will take care of you too! You’ll have what you need and when God meets a need, it will be in beautiful fashion.
- God already knows what you need
V32 – For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
God knows what you need already. Isn’t that comforting? He’s thinking about it before you’re thinking about it. Psalm 139 says that he knows what you’re going to say before you say it. That’s powerful in and of itself. No wonder we don’t need to babble on and on in prayer.
Don’t worry about tomorrow. Here’s great reason.
- YOU DON’T CONTROL THE FUTURE.
Tomorrow will worry about itself. It’s an interesting perspective. Tomorrow will worry about tomorrow. Since you’re not in tomorrow, it would be pointless to concern yourself with it. Leave all the tomorrows in God’s hand.
Do we need to look ahead? Yes. Do we need to worry ahead? No.
John MacArthur said “Making reasonable provisions for tomorrow is sensible, but to be anxious for tomorrow is foolish and unfaithful”. “We know tomorrow will take care of itself because it is in his heavenly Father’s hands”.
I will think about tomorrow in that we have to have a schedule for the church. I need to know the next project at home so that I can get my part of it completed. I believe in preparation but I don’t believe in worry. We have a bathroom re-model coming up and we need to have the supplies there ahead of the work starting. I’m not worried about it. I will be prepared and because of preparation, I’ll be less concerned, right? You keep procrastinating and that will cause consternation.
I have to look ahead in the church, hopefully see the rocks coming ahead, and then do course corrections in light of that. I get that but I cannot worry about what I don’t control.
My dad used to tell me this all the time. “Cross that bridge when you get to it”. In some ways, I don’t have to think about it days in advance. I don’t have to live tomorrow out today when I’m not in that day. I was always working through every conceivable scenario and “what iffing” myself.
God’s grace is sufficient for today. Why burn today’s strength on tomorrow? The problem is that you conjure up possibilities that are not inevitabilities. You don’t know that your fears will materialize as you may never get to that bridge. I’ve had to talk people off the ledge in the middle of the night. Someone’s dad was life flighted and they were mourning as if he had already died. I reminded them that they wouldn’t be doing surgery if it was hopeless. That man lived years after that.
You cannot just assume the worst and then get yourself worked up in a dither about it. Some people imagine all sorts of terrible outcomes and then then worry about what they made up in their own head space. You’re terrifying yourself – stop it.
Plan ahead but don’t worry ahead! What’s going to happen is going to happen.
Psalm 131:1 – My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.
How did David get to that spot of feeling so secure that he felt like a child with it’s mother all safe and secure? He calmed himself. He did not concern himself with things too wonderful for him. That’s not something that he did. If it’s way bigger, he didn’t concern himself with it.
I don’t understand all that I see. The great matters. The huge stuff you can’t influence. I don’t concern myself with it. All the stuff going on in D.C. I don’t control that and that’s all beyond me so why should I fret and panic about it all? I don’t concern myself with these great matters.
Are we looking at things that we don’t need to worry about it. If tomorrow is worrying about tomorrow, I don’t have to. So many things work themselves out. And all of us live this all the time. It’s going to work out – tomorrow can take care of tomorrow.
- TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Where is Jesus telling us to focus? He’s telling us to focus on today. Why? It has enough trouble of it’s own. There is plenty to focus on in the now without having to worry about how every detail will work it’s way out.
The word “trouble” comes from a word that means “evil” or “wickedness”. It can also mean “burden” and that’s a good use here. We say things like this, “It’s always something”. Each day has enough burdens. Enough to figure out. Enough to focus on. I don’t need to add to my daily burden by thinking about everything I have to do tomorrow. I can stay right here. God’s strength is for today.
Let’s note that burdens and troubles are part of our lives. Cars break down. Children get sick. We break things. There are chores that need done. There is housework. There are projects. There is planning. There is service. We encounter surprises and unexpected delays. So, let’s not get all bent out of shape when it’s a little bit harder. I should expect the unexpected and delays.
There’s also that thing called Murphy’s Law where whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. We get some of that too. As believers, we trust in God and we take it all in stride.
So, what is one thing this verse is teaching us? There’s a lot of contentment that comes by living in the moment that we are in.
This is one of the most key principles that helps me. Today has enough trouble of its own. There’s enough to do today and enough to work on and focus on. I don’t need to be thinking about the future days.
Let’s say that I get into a week with a lot going on. Not hard to imagine. I’ve had plenty of weeks where I wondered how in the world it would be possible to do everything. This is when I follow this verse and take it one day at a time. I just need to get through this day. Then when I get to the next day, I will focus on what needs to get done on that day. And typically those around me deserve that level of focus. When I’m doing a funeral, I need to focus on that. When I’m meeting with someone, I need to focus on that. If I’m talking to someone about a problem, that merits my utmost attention. I need to be there and paying attention in the moment I’m in.
And often times, we don’t have all the answers anyway. I don’t always know what’s going to happen. I might know I need a solution to an issue but not fully know what that solution, actually is. I have to leave that with the Lord. Simply stated, “Take it one day at a time”. Focus on today because God’s got this!
There is enough for me to think about right now.
Isaiah 26:3-4 – You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.
This is where the serenity prayer comes into play.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen