What have you been thinking about so far today? We seldom consider the path our minds take on a given day; we just get up and go. We’re often thinking about what’s ahead, and far too frequently those thoughts are laced with anxiety. How can we meet this need? How should we handle that challenging situation (or person)? Will we have enough, be enough, to meet life’s demands?
Thankfully, Jesus addresses these concerns in Matthew 6, concluding, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Most fears don’t involve immediate threats but stem from an unknown and uncertain future. We’re concerned about what might or might not happen, and in that worried exercise we redirect our time and energy away from present joys and pursuits to matters over which we have little or no control. Jesus encourages us to sidestep the temptation to borrow tomorrow’s real or imagined problems, piling them on top of today’s.
We have grace for today, to live in the present. God encourages us in 2 Peter 1:3-4 that we have everything we need for life and godliness (right now!) through our knowledge of Him who has called us in His own glory and goodness. We’re not adequate for a victorious Christian life all on our own; we find our sufficiency in Him. Only by abiding in Jesus, the Vine, can we hope to bear fruit. (John 15:5, 2 Corinthians 3:5).
David modeled dependence on God in Psalm 16, verse 8:
I have set the LORD continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
While on earth, Jesus modeled relationship with the Father, often getting away with Him (Luke 5:16). Those times of close fellowship, learning His Father’s will and doing it, were like food to Jesus (John 4:32-34). The Bible encourages us to put down our phones, set aside our lists, and do the same. Remember how Martha was busy and distracted with serving, but Jesus commended Mary, who just sat at His feet and listened? (Luke 10:42). In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, then all the things we tend to worry about having enough of (and strive to obtain) just come.
Recall that it’s through our knowledge of God that we have everything we need for life. We learn about God in His Word. For example, we see in 1 Corinthians 14:33 that God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. One of the names of Jesus is the Prince of Peace. As we spend time with Him and in His Word, our inner storms give way to peace and calm. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).
The enemy tempts you often to surrender your peace and to distract you from experiencing God’s presence here and now through fears, worries, and doubts. But these are merely temptations, and God promises you a way of escape every time (1 Corinthians 10:13). In the face of such temptation, ask God, “What’s my way out of this?” It may be to get in the Word, to worship, to help someone, to go for a walk, or something completely different; God knows. He’s empowered you for victory, but you must be present to win!
Thanks, JB, very helpful. 🙂