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

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 20, 2014): Matthew 6

Part of the process of growing up incudes developing the ability to delay gratification, to not need to immediately purchase something that we want, but rather to be willing to wait for it. We learn to be willing to save our money until we can afford the item that we want, we can save for the day that we will eventually retire, and all of this is part of what means to mature – to grow up. Admittedly, there are many forces that conspire in our society and tell us that this part of growing up is simply unnecessary. We can buy things that we want on credit – often with nothing down and with little or no interest on our payments (by the way, if you believe that I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell you. Nothing is free and the costs of borrowing are simply buried somewhere else. In the end you are still going to pay.) We are convinced that it is somehow not important to save up for our retirement; that cashing in those RRSP savings so that we can afford something now is a good and proper move. And we are wrong. All that any of this means is that we are still children and that we still have a lot of growing up to do.

But the other side of the story is also not healthy. Sometimes we get so obsessed with the future that we miss the present. We spend every waking minute worrying about what might – or might not – happen. And the result is that we never get to enjoy the life we are living. The truth is that neither ignoring the future or obsessing over the future are proper responses to life.

So Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow. The instruction is not that we should ignore tomorrow. Growing up demands that we do in the present whatever it is that we need to do so that we are prepared when tomorrow arrives. But there is also no need to obsess over tomorrow. If we do the things that we need to do, tomorrow will be well taken care of when it arrives.

Another way of phrasing this saying of Jesus is that we should not worry about the trouble of tomorrow that may or may not come true. Each day comes with trouble of its own, and today is no exception. Live in the present and attend to the trouble that comes our way. And if we are willing to do that, well, then tomorrow will be ready to take care of itself.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 7