How Forgetting about Tomorrow Brings Victory Today
I find the number one reason we give up on a dream or goal is because we're thinking too far ahead when we're only meant to handle today.
Doesn't sound so revelatory at first thought, but sometimes the simplest of concepts are the most profound.
God blesses us with the gift of time, taking the shape of 24-hour units. Ever wonder why? I believe it's because He created life as a whole to be lived and managed one day at a time—and no more. So, every morning, we get to make the renewed choice to surrender, follow, and rely on Him…for today. That way we're less overwhelmed and stressed when facing hard things.
There's so much freedom to be found in verses like Matthew 6:34. Don't worry about tomorrow because "today has enough worries of its own." Easier said than done sometimes, though, right? It's hard not to freak out when you don't know how you will pay for your teen's college tuition next year or whether your marriage will last until the year's end. The truth is, it's nearly impossible to only focus on today, with our own strength. We need to ask God to help, daily.
This is why the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 says, "Give us this day, our daily bread." God only sent enough fresh manna to feed the Israelites one day at a time in the wilderness (Exodus 16:19).
Perhaps one of the greatest testaments to this truth was King David's declaration in Psalm 68: "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." At the time, David had every reason in the world to fear the future and doubt God's provision. He was being hunted down by his enemy's soldiers and hiding in caves terrorized. So how did he get through it? By spending his days focused on who God is instead of what his mind was telling him about tomorrow.
The single best way to continue in God's will, when it's hard, is to follow him for the next however many waking hours. And then do it again tomorrow. Because more often than not, when we quit, stumble, or become paralyzed with fear, it's because we're letting the "what ifs" in.
So let's say for example, you've just committed to stay married after going through some divorce-level hardships. It can be overwhelming thinking about even one millisecond past today. Because "tomorrow thinking" is killer. What if things never change and it's still the same in five, ten, twenty years? What if I'm wasting the best years of my life? What if he ends up leaving me in the long run, and I'm doing all this work for nothing?
Or let's say you just went through a difficult breakup and are trying to give yourself time to grieve instead of hopping on to the dating apps. If you start thinking about how hard it'll be going through this year's major life events while single or the thought of turning 40 next Spring with no man in sight, you're setting yourself up for failure. Your only job for today is to keep those anxious thumbs away from downloading Match—until tomorrow.
The examples are endless, but the remedy is the same: today thinking. God understands how overwhelming and difficult life can be; Scripture is literally bursting with His promises to supply all our needs in daily measurements.
When fear, doubt, and temptations flood our minds when facing a difficult challenge or struggling to stay faithful through a hard season, we need to shift our mindsets to the exact few hours at hand. If God's calling you to a higher level of purity in your life, then it's your job to keep yourself pure—just for today. If you're trying your best to believe in a baby after you've had two miscarriages this year or praying through gritted teeth to fight for your marriage when all you want to do is run, stop fast forwarding to the worst-case ending (therapists call this "funeral thinking").
We simply need to pray and rely on Him until our heads hit the pillow and then re-commit ourselves to Him in the morning.
I believe this is why so much Scripture refers to the cyclical aspects of morning and evening. Lamentations 3:22 says, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Psalm 92:1-2 (NIV)says It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night."
By focusing on God's goodness and faithfulness, centering our hearts and minds on Him every morning, and focusing on his love and mercy, we're able to live between the bookends of truth. God already knows how He'll provide and protect us from whatever we're worried about or struggling with. Our only concern should be focusing on staying connected to Him by remembering and acknowledging his love and surrendering our fears to him. Then, of course, do it all over again the next day.
Little side note here: I believe those of us who know Jesus are so much stronger than we realize–if we're surrendered. A half-hearted "yes" to God usually won't get us over the finish line. Make sure you're really committed to whatever hard thing you've said yes (or no) to, and then watch what God can do when you continually trust and rely on Him daily.
According to Philippians 4:13, we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us. And 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says God's grace is sufficient for us. His strength is made perfect in weakness." The key to these and so many other verses about accomplishing hard things is first to acknowledge our need for God's strength and to actively rely on it. It's not enough to agree cerebrally that God can do anything. We need to believe it with our hearts and then allow Him to supply the power, grace, endurance, and patience needed for the path ahead. When we rely on our own strength or try to exert control out of fear or anxiety, we're sure to burn out, exasperate ourselves, and, in the end, fall from our highest calling.
When you feel yourself weakening or caving to overwhelming thoughts, don't feel guilt or take it as a sign you'll fail. Simply take a breath and recalibrate your thoughts on truth. Train your mind to constantly remember the ways God's gotten you through hard times or answered seemingly impossible prayers instead of thinking of the ways or plausibility you'll fail or fall tomorrow.
Whatever you're struggling to surrender or begin…the burden becomes much lighter and our confidence grows much stronger when we remain laser-focused on today. Cheers to the victory found in today and every day after.
Related Resource: How Can We Experience Peace When Our Lives Spin Out of Control?
Almost exactly twenty years ago, today’s Faith Over Fear guest, popular international speaker Carol Kent, was thrust into a situation that made her feel as if her world was unraveling. Her son was arrested for murder, revealing just how little control we parents often have over our children’s lives. Though her life felt out of control, she found peace and security through surrender. She discovered God is big enough and strong enough and loving enough to carry her through what she did or might someday face. If this episode helps you face fear with God's confidence, be sure to subscribe to Faith Over Fear on Apple or Spotify so you get new episodes every week!
Jessica Kastner is an award-winning writer and author of Hiding from the Kids in My Prayer Closet. She leads Bible studies within juvenile detention centers with Straight Ahead Ministries and offers unapologetically real encouragement for women at Jessicakastner.com.
Originally published January 08, 2025.
