Who controls tomorrow?

“Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries. (Matthew 6:31-34)

I used to kid with mom by telling her she worried about not having anything to worry about! She was a fretter. Towards the end of her life, when she had little else to do but 'think', she'd come up with some scenario, then think on it until she had herself kind of worked up about it. We'd have to talk through things until she had peace again about the situation she had become worked up about, then all would be good in her world again until the next 'scenario' got painted across her mind. Are you a worrier? Do you make yourself ill with worries, some not even realistic, much less anything you could do something about? When we worry, we declare our lack of trust in someone or something. Tomorrow will have its own worries, so why do we 'forecast' the worries of tomorrow by making them part of today? Maybe it is because we haven't really accepted that God wants our focus entirely on him and not on the things we can do little to change around us!

What you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. In other words, you should focus on his will for the day. How do you determine that? If we take time each day to ask him, listening for his plan even when we are reading through is Word, we might just tackle the day with a bit more confidence and a whole lot less worry. All the things we need are already at our disposal - even those things we don't see. We may not even realize what our true needs will be today, but he does, and he has prepared whatever it is we will need in ADVANCE of us needing it! If God has a plan, prepares for our needs in advance of us even needing it, then what good will any worry over our 'perceived needs' do for us? Not one thing! It will only serve to keep us from focusing on the things God actually wants us to pay attention to today!

Do we want God's best in our lives? Are we willing to relinquish control of those things that are really outside of our control in order to see God's best come to fruition in our lives? That is the real question. No one will likely say they don't want God's best, but more will admit they have a tough time really letting go of the reins and allowing God to take over. Trust is based on several things - the one we place our trust in, the reputation or past performance of that person, and how willing we are to 'let go' of the need to control the situation. If we have asked Jesus into our lives, we are trusting in the one who has proven to keep his word time and time again. His 'reputation' is based on 'performance' that never fails or falters. So, if we really want to get to the nitty-gritty of our worries, it is likely that we are not willing to let go. Just sayin!