Are You Still Going? What Jesus Says About Worrying About Tomorrow

Photo by Surface on Unsplash| Edited in Canva

"Forty-eight point something pounds."

I smiled.

I had done it.

After stuffing socks inside my shoes, strategically arranging packing cubes, and trying every packing trick I knew, my checked bag had finally come in under the 50-pound airline limit. Success.

The problem is never whether I can fit everything into the suitcase. The problem is how much it will weigh once I do.

As I stood there holding the digital luggage scale, I couldn't help but smile.

Of all the things I could worry about, my biggest concern was whether my suitcase would weigh less than 50 pounds.

Meanwhile, nearly everyone else seemed to be worried about something entirely different.

"Are you still going?"

That has been one of the most common questions I've heard as our church prepares to send 19 people to Africa on a mission trip.

Why do people keep asking?

Conflict in the Middle East. Rising fuel prices. Airlines suspending routes. An Ebola outbreak in neighboring African countries.

Over the past several months, church members, friends, and even some of our own team members have asked some version of that question. I even addressed it during a sermon a few weeks ago.

And honestly, I understand.

Some people simply don't understand why we would go anyway. Others have genuine concerns for our safety as these situations have unfolded.

Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:34), "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

That familiar verse has been quoted in countless sermons and printed on countless coffee mugs, but its message is just as relevant today as it was when Jesus first spoke those words.

We worry too much.

Jesus knows we will worry. He knows we will fret. He knows we will be afraid. Yet He doesn't condemn us for those moments. Instead, He gently calls us to trust Him. He reminds us of His presence, His provision, and His love.

He does this not only for our own good but because He doesn't want us to miss today's blessings while we're consumed with tomorrow's possibilities.

It's understandable why people worry.

We worry about our families. We worry about providing for them. We worry about protecting them. We worry about our health, our finances, and our future.

But what does worry actually produce?

Stress.

Frustration.

Anger.

Bitterness.

Fear.

Isolation.

The only thing worry occasionally gives us is the chance to say, "See? I told you so."

Too many of us live with "what if" constantly on our lips. We doomscroll through bad news and assume the worst in every situation. We act as though the only safe place in the world is wherever we happen to be.

The truth is, crime, sickness, disease, and hatred exist everywhere.

But so do grace, joy, healing, hope, and love.

Most importantly, Jesus is everywhere.

It has often been said that the safest place you can be is exactly where Jesus wants you.

Maybe that's Africa.

Maybe it's sitting in the living room of a dear friend who just lost a spouse after more than 50 years of marriage.

Maybe it's faithfully serving in a difficult workplace where God has placed you to be a witness to your boss and coworkers.

Maybe it's leaving that comfortable job to step into a new calling.

Maybe it's standing beside someone who is being mocked, bullied, or overlooked.

I don't know where God wants you today.

But I do know this: don't let tomorrow steal today.

Be fully present.

Trust God's leading.

Walk in obedience wherever He sends you.

Instead of asking, "What if?" ask, "What does God want me to do today?"

Then do that...and leave tomorrow in His hands.

Anyway, I was just thinking...