Devotional

There is great wisdom in Jesus’ advice to live just one day at a time. Now obviously he is not suggesting the kind of reckless life that gives no thought to future consequences or fails to plan ahead. The context of this verse comes in a conversation about what consumes our thoughts.

What do we worry about? What do we think about? In my experience, I believe most people slip into one of two pitfalls. The first is to worry about things too far in advance. The other is to dwell on the future in too much detail. If we are dwelling on the future too much, it can have a detrimental impact on our energy for the day ahead.

For example, dreaming about some future pleasurable event (Christmas/holidays/retirement) can make us unsatisfied or bored with the present, leading to impatience with today missing crucial opportunities in it. On the other hand worrying about some future challenging event can spoil the joy that today might bring. Either way, it is not good to dwell too far into the future or in too much detail.

Just live the day you are in. Enjoy its pleasures, work through its challenges, and be sure to thank God at the end of it. Then fall asleep peacefully because God will give you what you need for the next day.

God bless you and your family
Brett