Marsha's Musings: Borrow Trouble or Conserve Your Energy

I read the verses below this morning in my devotions. The last verse brought home to me the meaning of the saying, "Worry is just borrowing trouble from tomorrow." Perhaps verse 34 is where that saying came from.

34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

It's true. If I am worrying about tomorrow's possible problems, then I am using up precious energy, and time that could be put to good use on today's issues. How often have you and I been so upset and worried over what might happen tomorrow or in the future that we have sat stewing on that and not working on the tasks at hand for today? I know I have done this. For those of us whose energy is limited by physical problems, this can really impede our progress on today's issues and tasks. For those who are healthy and full of energy, it can eventually take you down.

And how many times have we worried and stewed over what might happen tomorrow or in the future, only to have it not happen? We have wasted all that time and energy on nothing. Conserve your energy and put it to work on today's issues instead.

Our Lord's admonition to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness is good advice. It is not only good, it is necessary if we are to beat the worry demon. We learn in Philippians 4:6-8 how to seek first the kingdom of God and how to beat the worry demon.

Philippians 4:6-8 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.

Did you notice, the word thanksgiving? If we are worrying, we are certainly not being thankful. Did you notice what we are supposed to think on? All the things we are supposed to think on are things we can be thankful for. If we determined to think on things to be thankful for, there would not be time to worry over what might happen in the future.

Matthew 6:24-34 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
(NKJV)

I struggle in this area a lot, so this is all very challenging to me. I don't claim to have a handle on it at all. But it helps me to write it all out like this and post it, because it makes me more accountable to work on this area of my life.