Day 5 — One Day at a Time

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.”

— Matthew 6:34 (BSB)

What if I don’t make the team next year? What if I don’t have any friends in middle school? What if my parents get sick? What if I’m not smart enough for high school?

A lot of worries live in the future. They’re about things that haven’t happened yet, and might never happen. And yet we can spend hours worrying about them, as if we could solve tomorrow’s problems today.

Jesus said something simple and freeing: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.”

He’s not saying tomorrow doesn’t matter, or that you shouldn’t plan ahead. He’s saying: Don’t carry tomorrow’s worries today. You weren’t made to.

Think about carrying a backpack. Each day has its own load: homework, chores, a hard conversation. That’s enough to carry! But when you worry about tomorrow, next week and next year, it’s like stuffing all those future days into today’s backpack. No wonder it feels so heavy!

God gives you strength for today. Not for next year. Remember the manna in the wilderness? God gave His people enough food for one day at a time. If they tried to save extra for tomorrow, it went bad. He wanted them to learn to trust Him one day at a time.

He gives you grace one day at a time too. When tomorrow comes, He’ll be there with tomorrow’s strength.

So what can you do with “what if” worries?

• Notice them. I’m worrying about the future again.
• Hand them to God. God, I trust You with that.
• Come back to today. What do I need to do right now?
• Remember who holds the future. You don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but you know who will be there.

Think about it: What “what if” worries about the future do you carry most often?

Try this: Each time a “what if” worry shows up today, say, “God, You’ve got tomorrow. Help me with today.”

Dear God, I often worry about things that haven’t happened yet. Help me not to carry tomorrow’s worries today. Thank You for giving me strength for today, and thank You that You’ll be there tomorrow too. In Jesus’ name, Amen.