“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34
Worrying over life’s troubles consumes much time for many. Sometimes the concerns are legitimate, but other times they are only imagined and never come to fruition. We all have been vexed by what we perceived as problems.
God has much to say about the sin of worrying in His Word. Matthew 6:34 compels us to take life’s obstacles on a day-by-day account. We have a lot on our plate for today. Do not worry about what may or may not happen tomorrow. Besides, what situation has worrying ever improved (Matthew 6:27)?
Looking at all the possible problems that could happen on another day is very discouraging. I remember the same feeling when I had to weed a 40-foot garden when I was younger. My mother gave me the chore to weed a backyard flower bed.
I worked a short time and then looked all the way to the end of the flower patch. It seemed so far away and impossible. After working a little more, I again looked to the far end. I felt I would never get finished, and that it was almost hopeless that I would ever complete the job.
Then I came up with a different strategy. Instead of looking at the whole, huge task, I looked no further than two feet in front of me. Looking up, I found my short goal and weeded hard to reach it. When I achieved that mark, I looked up two feet further and made that my next mission. Never did I look to the end. I kept making short commitments.
I remember at one point, which did not seem that long after starting, when I looked back where I started. Why, the beginning point was far, far behind me. I accomplished something. The task was obtainable.
Again, I returned to my two-foot tasks. Before long, my next look at the following two-foot objective made me realize it was the end.
Small goals and not fretting over the overall picture made the job seem faster and less agonizing. From that chore, I learned to set shorter goals and keep plodding until the goal was reached.
Life has many challenges that we will face. God does not give us more than we can handle. Be concerned with what God gives us to do today. When tomorrow comes, He will also give us the grace to meet the challenges we face on that day.
Isn’t there a saying that goes why worry when you can pray ?
Yes, you are right.
Worrying is not only a sin, but it also carries with it health problems!
Worrying causes stress, anxiety, depression, ulcers, fatigue, heart attacks, you name it, stress can cause it!
I was recently reminded of this after reviewing a scrapbook my Grandmother kept of some accomplishments of my Grandfather. He was a visionary in a particular area, but ultimately his worry and labor brought him very little. Perhaps a few accolades from men, but he lost (as in not saved) his children and consequently almost all of his grandchildren.