Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? . . . But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:27, 33-34
If I look too closely at my calendar or my to do list these days, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Overwhelmed is a place I’ve lived for much of my life, and I’ve learned that it steals my joy. So over the next few weeks, I’m trying to look only at the day I’m in. Not that I don’t have all that other stuff written down. I do. I have to! It’s all there, staring me in the face. But I can choose to peruse the big list only to pick out the tasks that must be completed for the day I’m in, not to dwell on the entire mountain of work that eventually needs to be done.
God has given me a multitude of tasks to do, and I want to do them well. I want to please His heart and bring Him glory, not just to make each item off my list. And that, I believe, is part of seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, letting Him supply all my needs. When I do that, my day becomes a packback I can carry, not a boulder that crushes. Then I have no need of worry, in the day, the month, or the year ahead.
I’m sure I will still fall into moments of panic along the way, but when I desire to order my way according to God’s word, I know He will gently guide me back to the path when I veer away. His grace, strong and sure, will both lead and carry me.
How do you keep your focus on the worries of the day instead of being overwhelmed by everything coming in the future?
Are you inside my head again? 😉 I’ve been so overwhelmed this summer, and like you, I’ve had to focus on just one day at a time. I love that Jesus knew we’d tend toward worry, so He graciously told us exactly how to handle it: seek Him first and don’t worry about the rest. Whew!
I”m praying for you! I know He will be your strength through all you have to accomplish.
“I love that Jesus knew we’d tend toward worry, so He graciously told us exactly how to handle it.” Me, too! I love that God didn’t leave us to wallow in our shortcomings–He gave us instruction in anticipation of them! What grace! What goodness!
So thankful I came across this post. Yes, it is easy to see everything in the horizon and become overwhelmed. I am a senior in college and am having a hard time coping with stress. I am juggling several classes, each with their multiple projects, exams, and deadlines. I see so much deadlines in front of me before the semester is over, and undoubtedly, I become overwhelmed. Feeling overwhelmed can paralyze you. You do not know where to start, how to start, the order in which to start, etc. I have to remind myself to take life one day at a time. “You eat an elephant one bite at a time.” God gives us the grace and gumption to check off the present day’s tasks. Days will go by, tasks will be checked off, and the semester will be complete. I have to pray God will cease my worrying. Everything will get done when/how it needs to get done.
You are right, Rachael! I know the stress of all you have on your plate, both from my own experience and because my daughter is also a senior in college and going through that now, too. Hang in there. As you said, one day at a time. The Lord will be faithful to help you when you continue to look to Him. In spite of your busyness, stay in His word. His truth is the best remedy for worry. It’s where I continually have to go to steady myself to meet the challenges of each day.
So glad you comment. Blessings to you as you finish up your classes and move into a new season of life!