Me? Worry?

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

Hmmm.

So, let me get this straight. Jesus is saying we are going to have enough trouble every day? And this is supposed to be encouraging?

Hmmm. What am I missing?

Let’s unpack this.

Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. You see, Jesus knows something worriers don’t know: what we worry about rarely happens.

Research has shown that when we worry, our brains automatically go to worst case scenarios. That’s our default mode. Unless we learn how to train our minds to think rationally, think in a way that honors God, our thoughts will betray us.

• When a teen misses their curfew, we think, “Oh, no! They must have gotten into an accident!”
• When our girlfriend/boyfriend doesn’t immediately return our phone call or text, our brains think of the worst case scenario.

What we worry about rarely happens. Thank God for that!!!

So, Jesus tells us. Chill out. Don’t worry about worst case scenarios for tomorrow. You are wasting your time and energy on something that’s not going to happen.

What a waste of time and effort. Stop.

Deal with what’s right before you. Deal with today.

The decisions you make today will impact what your tomorrow will look like. So, choose wisely today. Deal with today.

Stop wasting your time and energy on what rarely happens. Focus on what you need to do right now, on this day, so that you can have the future that you desire.

That’s good news. Choose wisely today.