“Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” —Matthew 6:34
In a world full of trouble, how is it even possible to have a quiet heart? Part of the solution lies in identifying what makes us anxious in the first place.
Our hearts easily get disquieted about the past, and sometimes that’s what keeps us in turmoil. Maybe it’s offenses others have committed against us or past sins we feel guilty about.
Our hearts also get restless about the present. We worry about challenging circumstances, people we work with, decisions we need to make, what’s happening in our world.
Then we get disquieted about the future. In The Seeking Heart, François Fenelon wrote,
If you try to guess what is going to happen,
you will only worry yourself
and anticipate trouble. Live each day as
it comes. Each day brings its own good
and evil, but what seems evil becomes
good if you leave it in God’s hands.6
Rest in God’s hands. The future belongs to Him.
6 François de Salignac de la Mothe Fenelon, The Seeking Heart (Jacksonville, Florida: Seedsowers, 1992) 115.
Make it Personal
What’s making your soul anxious—the past, present, or future? How can you place those worries in God’s hands?