“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34
As I swung my leg over the bike and sat on the seat, I wondered if I should pump up the tires a bit before I began my ride. I decided not to. As I was riding my bike on the trail, I kept thinking about those tires and second-guessing myself as to whether I should have put more air in them. As I continued to ride, I became a bit anxious about the tires. It didn’t help that I was lacking in energy that day. Maybe I would have a flat? Would I really want to walk my bike back home after a flat? My mind began to create all sorts of unrealistic catastrophes that only served to increase my anxiety level. What was supposed to be an enjoyable and energetic bike ride almost turned into a full-blown anxiety attack.
While I may be exaggerating my anxiety level, we do sometimes focus on the negatives, the what-if’s, the worse-case scenarios. Trust me, if there’s a worse-case scenario, I’ll find it. If it’s not there, I’ll dream it up!
How often do we lose our joy in the moment because we are distracted by what-if’s? Living in the moment requires us to focus on what’s good, what’s real, and what’s positive. Otherwise, anxiety will steal our joy, which in turn will make us more anxious. It’s a spiral-down that begins with our thoughts.
A friend and mentor used to say frequently, “You never know what a day will hold”. How right he was! Although the context was the office where we worked, his saying holds true regardless of the circumstances. We don’t know what a day will hold. We can’t see into the future. A Swedish proverb sums this up well: “The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.” While we may not know what the future holds, thankfully, God does. He already knows our future, not in a predestination kind of way but because He is not bound by time. He knows the future because He is already there. We can totally trust Him with tomorrow because He is totally trustworthy today.
Our key verse says not to worry about the future. The preceding verse says to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” “These things” refers to our day-to-day cares. When we trust God for our needs today, He will meet us in those needs and also give us Himself. Knowing He is with us today helps calm our fears about tomorrow, for we know He will be with us then, too.
Instead of jumping ahead to the what-if’s, surrender your thoughts to Jesus. Stay mindful in the present moment, enjoying the current ride without worrying about what’s down the road. We’ll get there soon enough and will most likely find that “on down the road” is not as scary as we thought. Thankfully, Jesus is with us there, too, just as He is with us in the present. Thanks be to God!
Heavenly Father, forgive me when I run ahead of You in worry and anxiety. Calm my anxious heart. Help me to trust You more. Fill me with Your joy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Copyright © 2017 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of road through Redwood National Park, California.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
As I swung my leg over the bike and sat on the seat, I wondered if I should pump up the tires a bit before I began my ride. I decided not to. As I was riding my bike on the trail, I kept thinking about those tires and second-guessing myself as to whether I should have put more air in them. As I continued to ride, I became a bit anxious about the tires. It didn’t help that I was lacking in energy that day. Maybe I would have a flat? Would I really want to walk my bike back home after a flat? My mind began to create all sorts of unrealistic catastrophes that only served to increase my anxiety level. What was supposed to be an enjoyable and energetic bike ride almost turned into a full-blown anxiety attack.
While I may be exaggerating my anxiety level, we do sometimes focus on the negatives, the what-if’s, the worse-case scenarios. Trust me, if there’s a worse-case scenario, I’ll find it. If it’s not there, I’ll dream it up!
How often do we lose our joy in the moment because we are distracted by what-if’s? Living in the moment requires us to focus on what’s good, what’s real, and what’s positive. Otherwise, anxiety will steal our joy, which in turn will make us more anxious. It’s a spiral-down that begins with our thoughts.
A friend and mentor used to say frequently, “You never know what a day will hold”. How right he was! Although the context was the office where we worked, his saying holds true regardless of the circumstances. We don’t know what a day will hold. We can’t see into the future. A Swedish proverb sums this up well: “The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.” While we may not know what the future holds, thankfully, God does. He already knows our future, not in a predestination kind of way but because He is not bound by time. He knows the future because He is already there. We can totally trust Him with tomorrow because He is totally trustworthy today.
Our key verse says not to worry about the future. The preceding verse says to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” “These things” refers to our day-to-day cares. When we trust God for our needs today, He will meet us in those needs and also give us Himself. Knowing He is with us today helps calm our fears about tomorrow, for we know He will be with us then, too.
Instead of jumping ahead to the what-if’s, surrender your thoughts to Jesus. Stay mindful in the present moment, enjoying the current ride without worrying about what’s down the road. We’ll get there soon enough and will most likely find that “on down the road” is not as scary as we thought. Thankfully, Jesus is with us there, too, just as He is with us in the present. Thanks be to God!
Heavenly Father, forgive me when I run ahead of You in worry and anxiety. Calm my anxious heart. Help me to trust You more. Fill me with Your joy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Copyright © 2017 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of road through Redwood National Park, California.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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