Robbing Your Present
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:33-34
Insight
I want to grow in the ability to be fully present in each moment I experience. Whoever is with me, or whatever I am involved in, I want to be completely focused. The pursuit of this skill is challenging because of the worries of another reality: namely, tomorrow.
Have you ever thought about how tomorrow can rob us of the present? Think of all of the moments where something special occurred, yet the worry about tomorrow kept you from enjoying it. We have all been there. There is constant temptation to miss what is happening now for what might occur later.
I reflect on moments where I worried about provision so much that I would toss and turn at night. I struggled with the temptation to find a better job that could provide more, and not even see the opportunities I have in my current situation to re-present Jesus to people. The list goes on and on for when my worry about tomorrow and the future robbed me of the present experience.
When I have those moments, I try to remember the challenge that Jesus gave to the people around Him: do not be anxious about tomorrow. Now, we can try to argue that Jesus does not understand tomorrow's pressures. Jesus did not have to worry about mortgage payments, marital struggles, student loans, or our kids' decisions, so we could argue that Jesus' tomorrow did not require as much worry as ours.
But that's simply not true. Jesus walked on the same earth we did, and had His fair share of potential issues to worry about. Jesus had a family and a calling. Jesus had people who were vying for His attention or trying to trick Him. And above all, Jesus knew there was a tomorrow that would lead to Him suffering and dying on a cross. Yet, Jesus pushed against the temptation to worry about tomorrow because He knew that seeking God's Kingdom is the focus.
When we seek His Kingdom first, everything else falls into its designed order. We come to realize that the future is in the hands of the One who controls it all. We can trust that while we live in the moment, Jesus is taking care of everything ahead of us. I like to remind myself often that nothing can happen in this world without first going through our Savior's sovereignty. This truth resets me and grounds me back to the here-and-now of life and allows me to be present.
Our journey to push against tomorrow's anxiousness is a long battle and will always be a reality of life. On those days we cannot shake it, may we be reminded of another truth of our God. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23). We can step into each day with new mercies from God, and those mercies are sufficient for every day. We have an ever-present God walking with us in every moment, and when we stay with Him, we make the most of each present moment.
Reflection
Do you feel as though tomorrow is robbing you of your present?
How can you lean into God's new mercies every day to remain in the present?
Prayer
Father, thank you for being such a merciful Father. I am so grateful that every new day is an opportunity for new mercies. I pray for mindfulness to stay in the present. No matter what lies ahead, may I remember You're in control, and allow that to help me rest in the here and now. Thank You for being You Father, I pray these things in Your holy name, Amen.
Port City writer Davy Nance wrote today's devotional.
