Today's daily lesson comes from Matthew 6 verse 34:
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
In our present age of anxiety we are told to worry about everything under both today's sun and also tomorrow's. When I was a kid an alert message scrolling across the bottom of the TV screen meant something extraordinarily serious was happening. Now, there are alerts 24/7. Powerful interests pour millions of dollars into keeping us hyper-vigilant and hyper-anxious and hyper-tuned-in.
The antidote for all this is not to not worry. We do worry; and not to worry would not be human. Rather, Jesus teaches not to worry about things we have no control over. If we can't reach out and touch and tend to it, then we really ought not to fixate ourselves on it.
There is no need to borrow tomorrow's worries because it turns out today's worries are plenty enough. I can pretty much spend today up tending to stuff within my reach without wasting it worrying about what isn't. Whether it's gonna rain or shine tomorrow really ought not to interfere with an honest day's work today and a good night's sleep this evening.
Today I'm going to do something radical; I'm only going to worry about today and the troubles it brings me. That doesn't mean I'm not going to buy insurance; but it does mean I'm going to go ahead and take the peace of mind that comes with it.
I have plenty to worry about and take care of today; there is no need to borrow any more from tomorrow.
Besides, as the old farmer said, "Most of the things that people worry about are never gonna happen no-how."
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