Why Worry About Tomorrow?

by Clay Smith

The pangs of world hunger. Ups and downs in the international economy. The holocaust of unborn children. The threat of nuclear war. These and other crises make us realize how troubled our world is. Even the news of Hong Kong's transfer to Chinese control in July causes us to wonder what will happen next.

World-watching is not new. For centuries people have kept an eye on world events to gain a clearer understanding of the times in which they lived. Why? Because as finite beings, we attempt to fill in the blank of tomorrow based on what we see happening today. And the more unrest we see, the more uneasy we feel.

Ancient Problems

Even Jesus' followers wondered about the future. Historians tell us that during the time of Jesus' life on earth, the Roman Empire was basically at peace. Yet His followers were concerned about Roman sovereignty over their nation. Many of the conquered people, including the Hebrews, still had a lot of national pride. Because they saw Roman domination as a form of oppression, the people desired a nation free from foreign control.

No matter what generation a person lives in, tough times bring out many uncertainties. What's worse, the prophets of doom predict widespread trouble in politics, economics, and society in general. Listening to them can cause us even more concern.

Is that how we should live - uneasy about the future? No! To keep our focus where it should be, Jesus had much to say about tomorrow and what our attitude should be toward it.

Daily Needs

There they were - a multitude of people camped on the side of a mountain, listening to Jesus speak. There were housewives and businessmen, widows and children. In the middle of His sermon, Jesus sensed that those people had the same basic questions about life as we do today: What do we do about food, drink, and clothing?

In answer, Jesus explained that we should not worry about tomorrow - what we will eat, drink, or wear - but look to God. He provides food for the birds and clothes the flowers of the field. Surely God will provide for us also, for He values us much more than birds and flowers (Matthew 6:25-31).

To this explanation Jesus added, "For the pagans run after all these things [food, drink, and clothing], and your heavenly Father knows that you need them" (v. 32). In other words, the ones who are most worried about the necessities of life are those who forget about God, or do not know Him at all.

Jesus does not mean we shouldn't think about our everyday needs, but that we should put them into proper perspective. God has promised to provide for His children. Thus, our priority should be not to seek basic human needs first, but to seek "first his kingdom and his righteousness." The result? "And all these things will be given to you as well" (v. 33).

World-sized Problems

That's fine for food, drink, and clothing. But what about our larger concerns for the world and its crises?

We can rest assured that, as God knows our worries about everyday needs, He also knows our deep-seated fears about the world and what is to come. God is much wiser than we; He knows we can't see beyond this moment and make all the pieces fit for the future. And yet, we try anyway.

Consider the followers of Jesus again. After He had been resurrected, Jesus appeared to the apostles and commanded them to stay in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4, 5). Verse 6 reports, "So when they met together, they asked him, 'Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

Jesus answered, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority" (v. 7).

Why did Jesus say that? Perhaps because He wanted His followers to trust God and not concern themselves over the details of tomorrow. Likewise, the specifics of the future in our day are under God's authority, and we need to leave them there. As with our daily needs, we need a proper perspective and right priorities.

A Proper Perspective

God understands our feelings and knows our concerns. He is our constant, unchanging Father. When we remember that He controls the very world He created, we have a greater feeling of security. In addition to this truth, the writer of Hebrews tells us, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). This thought also gives us a more encouraging view of life.

While man maintains that the only certainties in this life are death and taxes, the Bible provides us with a long list of promises we can count on in uncertain times. Here are just a few:

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread (Psalm 37:25).

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hands (Psalm 31:14, 15a).

Because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them (Hebrews 7:24, 25).

The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1).

These certainties hold us steady in life, and help us understand the world we live in and our relationship to God. Yet they are often forgotten or not even read today. Why? Probably because we've lost sight of the right priorities.

Right Priorities

The last generation of Americans has enjoyed tremendous growth in income, lived comfortably, and accumulated an abundance of material possessions. But where has it gotten us? One day we realize that money and "stuff" just don't satisfy anymore. We may enjoy a better life in terms of modern conveniences, but look at the deterioration in our moral values: Sex and violence are glamorized on our television screens; pornography is as close as the Internet; homosexuality is becoming an accepted alternative lifestyle.

The overall affluence of America has taken the eyes of many off God and onto the pursuit of money and pleasure. Many of our personal decisions are made on the basis of how much money we can make, rather than on what will bring true peace and security.

The fact is, affluence brings a false sense of security. In Psalm 49:5-13, the psalmist says that, despite a person's riches and ability to boast in them, they will do him no good: "No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him - the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough" (v. 7). The psalmist goes on to say in verse 12, "Despite his riches, [man] does not endure."

In 1 Timothy 6:17, Paul admonished the young preacher, Timothy, to redirect the focus of his affluent audience: "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment."

The real message in these texts is that we should take our focus off making money and onto God. Do we know Him personally? What will happen to us when we die? Jesus Christ came to this earth and died on the cross for our sins so that we can live forever with Him, so that there's no question marks about our eternal future. Knowing we will live forever in God's eternal kingdom gives stability in an unstable world.

Conclusion

What the immediate future holds, we do not know; but worrying about it accomplishes nothing. Instead of worrying, we can rest assured that what matters to us matters to God. As His children, we can trust Him not only for our daily concerns, but also for our concerns about the future.

It is far more important to keep our eyes on Jesus than to build wrong foundations. It is a focus that will pay off in the end, for "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

It's guaranteed; you have His Word on it!

A version of this article appeared in the May '90 issue of the Bible Advocate magazine. For a free subscription, contact us at BibleAdvocate@cog7.org Clay Smith is co-pastor of the Church of God (Seventh Day) in Sacramento, CA. Scripture quotations were taken from the New International Version.

© 1997 General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day)