ONE DAY AT A TIME

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Mt 6:34)

I remember seeing a poster hanging on a wall one time that said I TRY TO TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME,BUT SOMETIMES SEVERAL DAYS ATTACK ME AT ONCE. (-- Author: LARA LATOURELLE). It brought a chuckle out of me because I sure could relate. As a matter of fact, there have been times in my life that would have been great if it had only been a few days attacking at once!

If you are like me, you probably try to settle tomorrow, or multiple tomorrows, today. We can get so caught up in that, that we have no peace, and miss out on what today had to offer us. According to Mt 6:34, we are not supposed to worry about tomorrow. Today has enough things going on all by itself without adding tomorrow to it. As a matter of fact, we are not wired to handle too much fretting without it having a negative effect upon us.

Notice that Mt 6:34 begins with therefore. That means that something was written before the verse that is the basis for this verse being true, or as one of my teachers used to say, “What is the therefore there for?” Let’s go all the way back to verse 25 of Mt 6 for the answer.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Mt 6:25-33)

Now that was a mouthful that basically says life has issues that are far more important than what we will eat, what we will wear, or where we will sleep. Life is not about those things. God takes care of the birds, He clothes the fields with flowers, and He says we are more important to Him than the birds, the fields, or the flowers. He goes on to say that worry cannot solve any of these problems, or add anything positive to our lives. God knows we need the necessities of life, but does not want us to live a life focused on those things, for that would be to model our lives after people who do not know God. The necessities of life would become our focus instead of God.

So what is God’s answer to the needs of life? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Mt 6:33). God says that if we will put Him first, He will take care of everything else. But there is more to this, for we are really talking about life focus - what is our life focus, or the focus of our lives.

Did you ever put a piece of meat into your mouth, and as you began to chew, it got bigger and bigger? I’ve had it get so big that I’ve had to take half of it out and eat it in two bites instead of one. Well, these scriptures are kind of like that. As you look at them they get bigger and bigger. The more you see, the more you can see. As you may have noticed, verse 25 begins with therefore also. What is the therefore there for?

We have to go back to verses 19-24, which say: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money“.

To be worried about the necessities and pleasures of this life is to serve Money. Worry is a form of worship that sees money as the answer, the problem solver, the great fixer, the all in all. God says we cannot serve Him and Money. One or the other has to be our master, and the fruit of which we serve will be evident in our lives. Devotion to money and all it brings is idolatry. Worry is the proof of misplaced devotion, and those who drink at its well will suffer the consequences.

Devotion to God brings trust in Him and His promises, and looks to Him as Provider. If our life focus is God, His kingdom and His righteousness, then His promise says He will take care of us. The Amplified Bible words verse 33: But seek aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

Today, fulfill your daily obligations, be obedient to the Word and the Holy Spirit, join God in what you hear and see Him saying and doing, welcome what and who He brings into your life, be willing to drop your plans for His, and do not try to take on tomorrow while it is still today. Live for God today and live in today, not yesterday or tomorrow. If we will trust Him and be devoted to and serve Him, He will take care of yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows.