Do Not Borrow Tomorrow's Troubles

Matthew 6:34

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Matthew 6:34 (NIV)
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Why do we insist on borrowing tomorrow’s troubles?
What benefit does it ever bring us?

Planning ahead isn’t wrong. Sometimes it’s wise. Thinking about another potential shutdown, for example, gives us space to prepare—maybe by putting a little more into savings or buying food in bulk when we can. That’s stewardship. That’s wisdom.

But there’s a difference between planning and worrying.

Planning equips you for the future.
Worry drains you long before the future arrives.

Merriam-Webster defines worry as “to afflict with mental distress or agitation.” And it really does. Anxiety sneaks into the small, quiet corners of your life and suddenly takes over the whole room. It affects your mood, your relationships, and your body. Even when your mind feels calm, your body may still be screaming the echoes of an old fear.

Why is worry such a beast to overcome?

For me, I got used to it. Worry became familiar. Not peaceful, not healthy—just familiar. I knew the patterns, the spiral, the tension. In a strange way, it became the road my thoughts traveled the most. And it changed me. It weighed down my personality, my physical health, and the joy in my everyday life.

And climbing out of that place took time.

I didn’t claw my way out alone.
God met me there.
He shined a light when everything felt dim.

Through prayer, through conversations with my doctor, and even through therapy, I learned to cope with anxiety. Not perfectly. Not permanently. But well enough to breathe again. Well enough to stand again.

Is my anxiety magically gone? Absolutely not. But I know what to expect now. I know how to redirect my thoughts toward Jesus. I know the difference between a flare of worry and the truth underneath it.

But even knowing all this, my body sometimes reacts long before my spirit does. That old flesh-vs-spirit battle rises up, reminding me how human I really am.

It takes work to stay grounded in today.
It takes practice to stop reaching into tomorrow.

I’ve had to repeat verses like Matthew 6:34 to myself—sometimes out loud:
“I’ll worry about that tomorrow. Today has enough trouble.”

Then I have to believe it and move on.
I can’t entertain anxious thoughts. I have to release them.

Some days it’s easy.
Some days it’s not.
But by God’s grace, it’s possible.

So today, I’m sitting here grateful that this shutdown is over. I’m doing my best not to borrow fear from a possible future one. But I am sitting down with my husband to make wise plans for our family—while remembering that one way or another, God already has the future worked out.

We will be okay.
He’ll make sure of it.

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Practical Application for the Week

Try one (or all) of these:

• One-Day Focus:
Each morning this week, pray: “Lord, help me stay in today.”

• Five-Minute Reset:
When you feel anxious about the future, set a timer for five minutes.
List only what you can do today. Let tomorrow go.

• Scripture Anchor:
Write down Matthew 6:34 and put it somewhere visible—mirror, fridge, steering wheel.

Small steps. Real peace.

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Reflection

• What worries are you borrowing from tomorrow?

• What would it look like to release one of them today?

• Which verse keeps you grounded in the present?

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Prayer

Lord, thank You for another beautiful day. Thank You for providing everything I need. Thank You for looking out for my future in ways I can’t even see. Help me stay grounded in the present and lean on You for peace and comfort. Take my anxieties and do with them what You will, because they do me no good. Lead me beside still waters. Restore my soul. Guide my steps so they align with Your will and not my own.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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