If everything depends on you—then you should worry.
It means every decision you make today must be perfectly calculated.
You must account for every outcome.
You must calibrate to set up the perfect consequences.
There is no technique that can be taught to remove this pressure. Sure, there are many books, blogs, videos that will help you manage it. They try to help you reduce your psychological response to it.
But if the future depends on you—then you should worry. You need to handle things precisely, correctly. That’s a huge responsibility. Don’t kid yourself about this. If you make one move wrong today, you could set up a disaster for tomorrow. If the future depends on you—you better get it right!
But it doesn’t.
That’s why Jesus explained that everything does not depend on you. In fact, nothing does. The reality is we worry because we’re trying to take responsibility for things we aren’t responsible for. He said:
which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (Matthew 6:27)
There is someone who is responsible for these things. The Apostles’ Creed calls him “God” (because we can never fully understand him), “the Father” (because he loves you unconditionally) “Almighty” (because he really is in charge of every detail of your life). This is the gist of what Jesus explains near the end of the Sermon on the Mount.
And so, Jesus concludes this part of his sermon by saying:
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)
This isn’t a technique. It’s a fact. Because Jesus is giving you a person. God the Father Almighty is mysterious, he loves you, and he’s in charge. And he’s given you today as a gift.
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
The living God calls you to live today, tackling the challenges that come to you today, in trust that he will give you the tomorrow that he has planned for you. A tomorrow that is currently not revealed to you (because he’s God) that will be for your good (because he’s your Father) and that he’s in control of (because he’s Almighty).
Jesus doesn’t give us a technique to manage our worry. He doesn’t talk us through how to reduce that pressure we feel: He gives you the living God.
So, you are not responsible for tomorrow.
God is.
So live today, and enjoy it:
Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)
To hear about Jesus’ words and worry, listen to: Why Do We Experience Anxiety?
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