A few hours before the current crisis erupted, I was thumbing through a book and noticed a quote from a Scottish poet. It turns out God can use even Scottish poets to prepare us for difficult days. George McDonald says the burdens of the day will never cripple a person. It is when we add the worries of tomorrow to the burdens of today that we crumble and buckle under the weight.
I shared this insight with our ministry staff at 11am on Thursday. At 3pm Thursday, we are informed a young man has told a local TV station his story of an inappropriate relationship with our former pastor. For the past several days I have been completely consumed with meetings and media interviews. Even today, I have spoken with CNN, Charisma Magazine, and the New York Times, among others.
But something strange is happening in me. I am not worrying about tomorrow and I am carrying the burdens of the day surprisingly well. I am certainly planning for tomorrow and thinking about the future and the challenges that are still in front of me and the church, but I am not worrying about them. Jesus knew the power of this principle when he told to not worry to worry about tomorrow, for it has enough evil of its own.
This truth is important for all of us regardless of the assignment God has given us in life. It is true for home school moms and corporate CEO’s. Worry will not add one measure to our lives, but it most certainly will rob us of the joy of the moment.