07/13/2022
Have you ever googled, “Bible verses to help with anxiety?”
I have, probably 100 times.
Matthew 6:34 is often found on this list, which says:
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
It makes me laugh (in a “this-is-ironic” type of way) every time I read it on the “battling anxiety with Bible verses” list.
Because this verse basically confirms what someone with anxiety is actually afraid of: future troubles.
We’re often worried about some hard scenario happening.
As someone who battles anxiety, I’d like this verse to say “therefore do not worry about tomorrow, because everything is going to be JUST FINE. And whatever bad thoughts you’re having, they’ll never happen! In fact, things are going to go WAY better than you could even imagine!”
That’s the kind of verse I want when I’m anxious.
But that kind of verse doesn’t exist.
These words, straight out of the mouth of Jesus, preach a different message:
Live in today. Stay in today.
Because there ARE going to be troubles in this life, but worrying about them today does nothing for you.
It doesn’t change the outcome.
It doesn’t prevent bad things from coming.
It doesn’t give you more control over your situation.
It simply steals from today.
So, Jesus encourages us to live in today.
Easier said than done, I know.
But it’s today that we have because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. And the truth is that we simply don’t know what’s coming.
It could be way better than expected or worse.
Either way, it’s not for today.
So friend, all we can do is take a deep breath,
and surrender whatever future troubles we are carrying today into the hands of the God of tomorrow and eternity.
Because we don’t know when the trouble will hit or how it will look..
But we do know that He will be right there waiting for us, completely unsurprised, and ready to battle through any trouble we will face.
~Kelli Bachara, The Unraveling Blog
