Skip to main content

No Boasting or Worrying

                     Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. (Proverbs 27:1)

                 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)

                Scripture warns us about boasting about tomorrow and about worrying about tomorrow for roughly the same reason. We aren’t in control of what will happen tomorrow. This isn’t the same as not planning. It might be better to say that it is planning with one’s ego or emotions firmly attached. Another way to put it might be to say that planning is OK, but not trusting God is not.

                The problem, of course, is that it’s easy to trust God when God consistently does what we want. Except, if He consistently does what we want, we start thinking we’re in control, and we’re likely to start boasting. We no longer trust God, we presume. And the moment God doesn’t do what we want, our supposed trust goes out the window.

                When we perceive God as consistently not cooperating with our plans, or hopes, that tends to lead to our not trusting Him, either. After all, He didn’t do what we wanted. He didn’t let us be in control. Why should we trust Him? The reality is that trusting God is not about trusting Him to or not to. It’s about trusting Him, period. Trusting Him whether He does, or does not because we’re trusting Him, not his compliance.

                This is hard for me because “trust” is a verb. It’s something we do rather than something we feel, like love. It’s not something that can be easily diagnosed on my examination table. Trusting to and trusting for have an evaluative focus. Not only can I determine whether God has or has not done something but, perhaps more importantly, I might be able to tell if I am doing it. I tell myself that I trust God, but even if I trust God, I don’t trust my trust. In other words, when I start thinking about trust, it becomes about my trust, not His trustworthiness.

                And perhaps the answer to all this is that instead of boasting or worrying about tomorrow, or about our trust, we need to ask whether He is trustworthy. And if He is, then we need to put the whole question aside and get on with the next obvious step toward tomorrow. And when the feelings return, we have to put them back in their cage all over again.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more