Devotional Thoughts: Worry

I just had a conversation with one of my fosters who is now an adult about how when life seems overwhelming the Bible teaches us to just focus on today, not tomorrow. The worries of tomorrow can overwhelm us and even paralyze us. Sometimes we can only do the best we can today to press on. I don’t know about you but I’m the type to lose sleep over thinking about tomorrow especially when I have a lot of things I’m unsure about or I’m in a situation where I really need to think through an upcoming decision. We’ve all been there this year in 2020! In this pandemic we are having to make decisions we’ve never thought about before. The Bible has good advice for us in this verse: Focus on doing the best I can today and do the same when tomorrow arrives. I cannot ever live in tomorrow before tomorrow arrives. We all know tomorrow things can change drastically and what time I would have wasted worrying about it!

I think I worry about my kids the most. I worry they’ll make a quick decision and have consequences. My kids are becoming adults. I’m super proud of them! My worry can affect my kids and I never want to be a huge stressor in their lives. I want to be HOME for them, where they’re safe and can talk about anything. Just this past weekend one of my kids described me as, “uptight.” My whole family laughed at this assessment of me because it’s pretty accurate! I’m the activator personality. I get things done! I live in today and try not to put off until tomorrow what I can accomplish today! I know this part of my personality can be stressful to some other personalities. Want to frustrate me? Tell me you’ll do something and take a month to do it!! AAAAGGGGHHHHH! Yes, I guess I am uptight at times and need to relax a bit more. Life is a long journey full of lessons. Let’s get better and better every day.

I must never forget that I’ve given my life to the Lord and that means I can trust God in my today and tomorrows. God already sees and knows tomorrow because God isn’t confined to time like I am. I cannot escape time, but God created time and isn’t a slave to it like I am. Knowing this can help be not be so “uptight!” I have enough to accomplish today and when I lay my head down at night I want to know I lived well today and I CANNOT live well today if I spend my day worrying about tomorrow.

Here’s a prayer I prayed that might be helpful to someone else:

God, forgive me for my worries. Help me trust You more and more every day. Help guide me to know what I need to focus on today so tomorrow will be a better day for me, my family and the ministry you have handed me. I know today affects my tomorrow but help me live more in the present. Help me enjoy today, slow down, express gratitude, love my family and encourage others. I pray my activator personality will feel at peace at the end of the day having accomplished much for Your Kingdom. Help me to BE who you created me to be today and worry less about what I DO tomorrow. I am not what I do. I am Yours and get caught up in the DO too much sometimes. In Jesus name, Amen.