Do Not Worry

There are websites for people who want to make hotel bookings but leave it all to the last minute. Not surprisingly it is very popular! It seems to me that people are either well-prepared and plan ahead, or else they rush around trying to make up for the problems of being un-prepared. I have just received a magazine which has a big article on Planning Ahead. It contains this quote: “it wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark”. True enough. So why does Jesus tell us not to worry about tomorrow? Well, as Christians we need a bit of each - the Bible tells us to invest time and energy into growing in maturity and at the same time we are told not to worry about tomorrow.

Recently I took delivery of some little plug plants which I will need to look after while they grow over the autumn, so that we can have a good show of colour here at Glyndley Manor in the spring. Of course I could have just sat back and waited to see what plants might grow spontaneously in the various pots and baskets that are lined up on the greenhouse benches, but probably I would have been disappointed, because those pots don’t even contain any soil! We trust God to provide for all our needs, but we are also called to be diligent, to make preparations in anticipation of that provision.

In Matthew 6:31-34 Jesus encourages us to have no anxieties about tomorrow’s provision. Instead, He tells us to seek the Kingdom of God, the Provider. This means having confidence that God really is Sovereign - Jesus really is Lord. Such confidence needs to be in place before we hit tomorrow’s crisis. A sound trust in God is not a last minute choice, but it is the outcome of a growing relationship with our Father in Heaven.

Seeking the kingdom of God requires both effort and understanding. The effort is making the choice not to go back to the human perspective, where we live according to the carnal nature, but rather to make Godly decisions and live according to God’s Word and Spirit. As well as effort we need understanding. That understanding is a mature knowledge of God which comes from studying and applying Scripture into our lives, together with a continuing experience of the Spirit of Jesus active in our lives.

Yes, good planning is needed; careful preparations are helpful for future success. But trusting in the God who knows our every need brings the peace and freedom from anxiety we all long for.

Prayer: Lord Jesus please help me not to worry about tomorrow and what it may bring, but to be properly prepared for each day’s tasks as I walk with you and deepen my life in you through Word and Spirit. Amen.