Matthew 6:34 (ESV)
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be
anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Anxiety is at an all-time high in many parts of the world. Between war,
viruses, culture shift, and politics, we worry. We worry about our future. We
worry about our children’s future. We worry about our country’s future. We
worry about inflation. We worry about recession. Some of us are really good at
finding things to worry about even when there is nothing to worry about. When
Jesus tells us not to be anxious, that makes us anxious because we can’t see
any way to not be anxious. We are an anxious people.
At the heart of anxiety is uncertainty. But Jesus says that all the things
we worry about . . . he already has it all figured out. There seem to be two
key elements to laying down our anxiety. First is letting go of the future. As
long as we believe that our comfort is tied to a particular future, we will
constantly worry about it. Letting go of the future does not mean that I don’t
do anything about it. It does not mean that we don’t plan. It does not mean that
farmers don’t plant and harvest. It does not mean that I don’t save. But after
all has been done, we must hold our plans loosely and let go of our insistence
on a particular future.
Second is faith. Can I trust God even if things do not turn out the way I
want them to? Do I really believe that he has my best interest in mind even
when it feels like he has abandoned me? Several years ago, I was riding
horseback in the mountains of north Idaho. The trail was steep and narrow. As
we started down, I found myself holding the reins tighter and tensing up. I
didn’t want to go rolling down that mountain on the back of a horse. Then it
occurred to me that the horse didn’t want to fall any more than I did. I just
needed to trust it. The anxiety drained away and I was able to enjoy the beauty
around me.
We can’t always trust those around us. We can’t trust that someone won’t run
a redlight, or lose control of their vehicle in front of us. We can’t trust
that prices won’t go through the roof. But we can trust that someone greater is
in charge. We can trust that God has it all under control. We can trust him to
never leave us nor abandon us no matter what happens. We can trust that he has a
bigger view of our life and our future than we do. Letting go of the future and
trusting God are key elements to letting go of our anxiety. Who do you trust?
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