Elderly gentleman was once asked what had robbed him of joy the most in his lifetime. He replied, “Things that never happened.” Fear of future known as Anticipatory Anxiety (future tripping). Whether you are planning a trip, waiting on a test result, going on a first date (or 2nd) or have a presentation to make at work, the culprit of anticipatory anxiety is uncertainty of not knowing. Not having answers to our questions and concerns creates an anxiety that causes us to fear the unknown of the future.
Fear of the future is not really about the future but about the unknown (control issue). God is the only one who is sovereign & omniscient. Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.” Nothing catches God by surprise.
25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span[a] by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.33 But seek first the kingdom of God[b] and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:25-34
Worry does not prevent the future from happening. Worry prevents us from living a full life and enjoying today! Jesus gives us two principles to remember about worry and faith.
Worry and faith are mutually exclusive. If you boil it down to the root of worrying, you find two primary culprits: time and money. How am I going to get everything done? How am I going to pay for everything I want to do?
Jesus narrows it down to a faith issue (v 30) when he says, you of little faith. Worry results from a lack of genuine belief in God’s goodness. Either we are not fully convinced of God’s goodness or we are not fully surrendered to the good God. Not to worry is a choice to believe truth in spite of what my emotions are telling me. It is a command (v 31) based on God’s goodness. In v 32, Jesus compares worrying to the behavior of Gentiles (unbelievers).
The future is in God’s hands and will be managed perfectly by God whether we worry or not. Jesus reminds us that we cannot add to our life by worry (v 27), but we can subtract from life. We can cut our days short by worrying because of the toll it takes on our health. We can cut our relationships short by worrying. We can miss out on life’s experiences because worry hinders our ability to enjoy the moment.
Worry and concern are not the same thing. Worry paralyzes us and we stay in the “What if?” stage. The “What ifs?” are endless. Concern on the other hand focuses on options and solutions. There is nothing wrong with planning. Proverbs teaches us that we plan our days and God directs our steps. Planning takes into account wise, biblical principles. Planning takes the information you have at the time and makes the best decision possible. If, and when, you receive more or better information you can reassess and adjust your plan.
Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.
Mature faith operates according to biblical truth. A mature faith is convinced God is working all things together for our good and His glory. Jesus says that it is our priorities that are our problem (seek first the Kingdom of heaven). Worry is the opposite of content. God knows and God provides.
The solution is not to stick our head in the sand and ignore life, but to redirect our focus to God’s truth. Jesus establishes the core curriculum for our lives – seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. This is what realigns our lives by Kingdom priorities. This is what realigns our needs and wants.
John Piper asserts, “Fear is out of step with the gospel. (Paul) 2Tim 1:7, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love & sound judgment. You just feel tense and anxious that something’s going to go bad. What you need more than anything in the world is to see the gospel.
You need to see that the gospel says something about God’s intentions toward you this week. When you look at the death of Jesus on the cross for your sins, you know what that says about God’s intentions for you? It says, “I am for you and not against you.” Paul put it like this: What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. (Romans 8:31–34) If you see the gospel and believe the gospel, you know what your heart cries out? The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? – Hebrews 13:6.
Every day, the walk of faith is a battle to believe the gospel, that God is for you and not against you.” (click here for full article by Piper)
We used to sing a little gospel song in the church I grew up in …
I don’t know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don’t borrow from its sunshine,
For its skies may turn to gray.
I don’t worry o’er the future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I’ll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.
Refrain:
Many things about tomorrow,
I don’t seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.
MichaelStovall 