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Let Tomorrow Worry For You

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34 ESV)

If I were tasked with writing some proverbs, the first would be: "Worry stinks, it messes you up." It never helps. You're always David without the five smooth stones and cool slingshot. Worry is rust. Worry is a riptide. It's quicksand. 

And then there's pesky old tomorrow. Tomorrow. A day personified. A day that is supposed to do the worrying for us. Kinda weird to think that a theoretical day to come can be said to do what some people are addicted to doing. Tomorrow is a worrier's playground. Dangerous. Filled with the broken glass of 'what ifs'. The fear of man is worry gone wild. It's a trap. It's letting things loom larger than life. Worry gets its elbows on the table and chows down. And you're left hungry, cold, and wanting.

Thirteen years of needless, irrational worry buys you no airplane flights and a fear-based rejection of any opportunity not based on land. Been there. Worry buys you unlimited and unbridled stress and proactive heartache. Worry breeds worry. Worry stifles life. It's a hostage situation. It's like a garbage-filled Fort Knox. It's like an asthmatic spending an evening in a stuffy, cat-filled, dusty house. You can't breath. You don't inhale. 

What I want to know is how Tomorrow worries. It's stated like everyone should know that worry is Tomorrow's occupation.

I think it's like this: you aren't there yet so there's nothing you or anyone can do. You can plan. Prepare all you want. You just can't out whit tomorrow. It doesn't exist yet. But in a way it does. God ordained tomorrow. His knowledge of tomorrow goes beyond corridors of time. His interest is more providential. So you and I should be hopeful. Nothing in Tomorrow will surprise God. He is King over all things. Especially Tomorrow. It's one of His specialties. He's expert in Tomorrow.

But still, worry creeps up behind you and whispers things that make you wonder. All sorts of imagined eventualities that you must guard and protect yourself against. Worry feeds irrational fears and causes us to dive into action and react to things not yet seen. It's like a twisted chess game where we are trying to outthink an unseen opponent named Tomorrow, aka possible rejection, anticipated failure, or potential conflict.  It's like we almost like living like this. Are we really happy to continue in endless worry? Most worriers, including myself, really want to stop. We crave freedom.

What should you do?

1. Marinate in Truth. Let the Truth set you free (John 8:32). Let Truth flavor you completely. The objective kind. Bible stuff. Not filthy lies, certainly not putrid lies from the pit. When Truth reigns in our hearts, Tomorrow is in his rightful place. Scary Tomorrow does a number on worrywarts. Jesus has every Tomorrow. Believe Him when He says don't worry. Remember, He's working on infinitely more knowledge than you. Hairs on head and birds falling to the ground and stuff. The gift of faith in Jesus Christ is what Christians have and everyone needs. Faith fixes the flat and all that. It restores what worry erodes. Live in the moment. Be thankful (not regretful) for the past. Be hopeful (not paralyzed) about the future. God is in control. His is an extraordinary love. He demonstrates that love in that while we we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). Christ died in our place. Substitution. Took our sins upon Himself. You are loved. Called. Chosen. Transformed in Christ. Gospel grace transforms. Let that truth flavor your soul. 

2. Medicate with Truth. After you have soaked in the truth, keep your intake high. In the best possible, most Christ-centered way, trust God and His Word above your understanding (Prov. 3:5-6). God's Word is powerful.  Give yourself truth injections and transfusions. We forget. We leak. We need God's good medicine. We cannot simply reason our way out of worry. We need the word of God, applied by the Spirit of God, to show us the truth of God. And we need to experience it in community with other believers, who acknowledge that same truth. We get stuck behind enemy lines, we need to be airlifted out by loving friends armed with the truth. God's holy reconnaissance. God's Word does it work in you who believe  (1 Thess. 2:13). Study to show yourself approved to God (2 Tin. 2:15). The Word is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16). Take more than twice a day with or without food. Let things unfold. Loosen your death grip on Tomorrow. It's most likely coming and you can't do anything about it. Relinquish your claim on sovereignty. Spirit-applied Truth is the Epi pen of life in Christ. It's counteracts the venom of worry. It's your security blanket. Linus would be proud. The Gospel tells me that all is well and all will be well in Christ, even when I don't feel it. God will be glorified. 

3. Magnify the Truth. Be overwhelmed with God's glory and objective, life-altering truth. Be blown away continually at how good God is. Be awestruck in the presence of a holy, loving, kind, sovereign God. And then tell people about Him. And in your darkest moments, when all seems bleak, and you seem to forget everything you know, let others in. Let them bear your burdens. Let them tell you the truth when you are not seeing it. Listen while they say things that your heart fights against but wants to surrender to. You magnify the truth when you let it defrost your heart. Let them hold you accountable for sinful worry. Let them into your life. Everyone will be blessed in Christ's Church as His Church seeks what most glorifies God and best builds His movement. God's mercy in Christ holds back His wrath against our sin and His grace extends the welcome so that we would be free to freely and fully give ourselves in service to Him. God doesn't want to worry clouding our sight and blinding us to true realities. He wants to magnify His goodness in your life. What results is more joy, more peace, more contentment than you thought was possible. You often feel rejected but you realize that Jesus has accepted you. This is newsworthy and worthy of worldwide distribution.

Of all people Christians should be the humblest, boldest, most courageous (don't read foolish you worriers) people on earth. But we are often the most trapped in weird ways of limited thinking that sees every roadblock to true happiness and pessimistic pile that might be stepped in.  How do I know? How can I spot a worrier? It takes one to know one. We must fight our natural inclination to worry and rest in God's sovereign grace. Never forget the lesson of Matthew 6:34. Let worry go. Let tomorrow be. Today is your concern. Trust Jesus today. He cares for you more than you know right now. And He is working out an eternal plan full of far more glory than you have ever seen. Our vision and understanding is so limited, His is vast and beyond our comprehension. Hurting Christian, don't try to figure it all out right now. Rest in Jesus. Know that He loves you, regenerated you, called you, justified you, sanctified you, glorified you, and is working all things according to the counsel of His will and for the good of His Church and the glory of His name.

All praise to the Lord Jesus Christ. I have been saved by sovereign grace alone, through the gift of faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed in Scripture alone, for God's glory alone.

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