"Give us day by day our daily bread."
Luke 11:3
This reminds me of Matthew 6:34 where it says "Take therefore no thought for the morrow." The focus seems to be on living in each day rather than on looking ahead. And in some ways, that is excellent advice. It the same verse, for instance, we are told "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." ... We don't need to work up anxiety about things that are happening tomorrow, because we have plenty to work on today, and there is no need to get overwhelmed. On the other hand, God also gives us parables about not building a tower without first counting the cost, and encourages us to have a year's supply of food, and to learn self-reliance, not to mention asking us to make decisions based on the potential for eternal life rather than the immediacy of the moment.
So maybe what God is saying isn't to ignore the future, or on the other hand to live only for the future, but rather to be fully present in the present, while still taking future possibilities into account. :) Now is what everything else is built on, right? This moment matters because it is who we are, and who we will be. Mormon 9:14 tells us that if we are filthy or righteous or happy now, we still will be when we are judged. Alma 34:34 tells us that we can't count on repenting after this life, and the same goes for becoming what we want to be. Now is the time.
Sometimes we get into a daily grind and stop paying attention to many of the things that matter. We might have enough bread for a few days already, but symbolically, it isn't just about food. We need the Lord, who is the bread of life, in our lives every day to help us with the things we have to face. Today, let's pay attention to the things that matter, and work to repent and change and grow and do our best, today. Let's not let the future stress us out, but let's not ignore it either. Let's do what God asks of us today, and plan ahead the best we can. But let's not get overwhelmed about whether we can deal with tomorrow. We can deal with that when it becomes today, with God's help.
Luke 11:3
This reminds me of Matthew 6:34 where it says "Take therefore no thought for the morrow." The focus seems to be on living in each day rather than on looking ahead. And in some ways, that is excellent advice. It the same verse, for instance, we are told "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." ... We don't need to work up anxiety about things that are happening tomorrow, because we have plenty to work on today, and there is no need to get overwhelmed. On the other hand, God also gives us parables about not building a tower without first counting the cost, and encourages us to have a year's supply of food, and to learn self-reliance, not to mention asking us to make decisions based on the potential for eternal life rather than the immediacy of the moment.
So maybe what God is saying isn't to ignore the future, or on the other hand to live only for the future, but rather to be fully present in the present, while still taking future possibilities into account. :) Now is what everything else is built on, right? This moment matters because it is who we are, and who we will be. Mormon 9:14 tells us that if we are filthy or righteous or happy now, we still will be when we are judged. Alma 34:34 tells us that we can't count on repenting after this life, and the same goes for becoming what we want to be. Now is the time.
Sometimes we get into a daily grind and stop paying attention to many of the things that matter. We might have enough bread for a few days already, but symbolically, it isn't just about food. We need the Lord, who is the bread of life, in our lives every day to help us with the things we have to face. Today, let's pay attention to the things that matter, and work to repent and change and grow and do our best, today. Let's not let the future stress us out, but let's not ignore it either. Let's do what God asks of us today, and plan ahead the best we can. But let's not get overwhelmed about whether we can deal with tomorrow. We can deal with that when it becomes today, with God's help.
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