The future is often difficult to handle, but God shows us the way to enjoy life without being overwhelmed by uncertainty.
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It is a natural desire to want to be in control of your future. When we feel in control, we can predict what will happen and have a sense of security.
However, in reality we have very little control over what will happen next, and when everything fluctuates on a daily basis, it can send us into a deep state of anxiety.
The key to staying sane and enjoying life when the future is no longer in our hands is to focus on today.
Jesus explained to his disciples, “seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil” (Matthew 6:33-34).
Jesus want us to focus on living the Gospel today, in the present moment.
Fr. Francis Xavier Lasance explains this type of living in his early 20th-century book, My Prayer Book.
One secret of a sweet and happy Christian life is learning to live by the day. It is the long stretches that tire us. We think of life as a whole, running on for us … We can not fight this battle continually for half a century. But really there are no stretches. Life does not come to us all at one time; it comes only a day at a time.
When we think of life, it is easy to think of everything happening at the same time. However, it never does. Each moment passes, and we are to concern ourselves first with that single moment.
It is a blessed secret this, of living by the day. Any one can carry his burden, however heavy, till nightfall. Any one can do his work, however hard, for one day. Any one can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely until the sun goes down. And this is all life ever to us–just one little day.
If we can focus on today, then we can more easily enjoy life. While we certainly need to keep in mind how our actions will affect our future, we need to realize that our life is not in our control and that dwelling on the future too much can be distracting.
Do today’s duty, fight today’s temptations and do not weaken or distract yourself by looking forward to things you can not see and could not understand if you saw them. God gives us nights to shut down upon our little days. We can not see beyond them. Short horizons make life easier and give us one of the blessed secrets of brave true holy living.
Everything could change tomorrow. The important duty we have is to fulfill today’s responsibilities and trust that God will take care of the rest.
When we live our lives trusting God and living in the present moment, we can finally rest peacefully and enjoy what God has given us.
Read more:
How meditation on the present moment can relieve anxiety
