Yesterday, during Sunday School, we were asked to have a question in mind while we read the scriptures for about five minutes. The question I had was: “What will happen after I graduate? What will I be doing, or where will I be living?”
Why Do We Worry About the Future?
This is something I have thought about more times than I can count, and this past year, with all the changes affecting international students, it has been difficult to maintain hope or motivation regarding the things I hope to accomplish.
Before I began reading the scriptures, this part of the hymn Consider the Lilies came to my mind:
“He clothes the lilies of the field.
He feeds the birds of the sky.
And He will feed those who trust in Him,
And He will guide them with His eye.”
Photo by Peter Dyllong from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-and-white-close-up-of-elegant-lilies-36762931/
These words made me think about why I worry so much about the future. There are many things I want to plan and prepare for, but there are also many things I simply cannot control. I can work toward my goals, make responsible decisions, and prepare for what comes next, but I cannot know exactly where I will be or what my life will look like after graduation.
That uncertainty can easily become worry. When I focus too much on what I cannot control, I can lose sight of what really matters in life.
What Matthew 6:25–32 Teaches Us About Trusting God
I began reading Matthew 6:25–32, and as I reread the passage this week, I felt impressed to not worry about the things I cannot control, just like the birds of the air: they do not sow or reap, yet our Father in Heaven still feeds them.
In the following verses, it explains that our Heavenly Father knows that we need all these things. To me, this means that He knows the desires and concerns I have, and Jesus asks us to seek first the kingdom of God, so that all these other things will be added unto us.
This was a good reminder for me to evaluate what my priorities are and where my heart is. I was reminded to seek God first, listen to His voice, and know that as I seek His kingdom first, everything else will be okay.
This changed the way I thought about my worries. Stopping worry does not mean that I stop caring about my future or stop preparing for it. Instead, it means learning to trust God with the parts of my future that I cannot control.
I can still work hard, make plans, and pursue the goals that matter to me. But I do not have to carry the entire weight of the future by myself.
How Can We Stop Worrying About the Future?
For me, one way to stop worrying is to recognize the difference between preparing for the future and trying to control it.
There are things I can control. I can prepare for my career, be responsible with my time, serve others, make good decisions, and continue developing my relationship with God. But there are also things I cannot control, and constantly thinking about them or obsessing over them will not make me more prepared.
When I find myself worrying about the future, I can instead turn my attention toward God. I can pray, listen for His guidance, and focus on what He is asking me to do today rather than trying to figure out everything that will happen tomorrow.
This was a good reminder for me to evaluate what my priorities are and where my heart is. I was reminded to seek God first, listen to His voice, and trust that He knows what I need. Trusting God does not mean that I have to know exactly what will happen next. It means that I can move forward without knowing everything because I know who I can turn to for guidance.
What Does It Mean to Seek First the Kingdom of God?
For me, this means prioritizing my calling in the Church and serving others instead of focusing solely on my responsibilities, work, or myself.
I know that this can sometimes be difficult, especially when there are real responsibilities and decisions that need my attention. But I feel that giving up some of our time spent on “earthly” tasks in order to focus on things that belong to the kingdom of God is what allows us to stop worrying about what the future will bring and instead find peace in the Lord.
Seeking God first doesn’t mean ignoring our responsibilities. It means putting those responsibilities into an eternal perspective. When I remember what matters most, my future feels less like something I have to figure out on my own and more like something I can trust God to guide me through.
How Seeking Christ Can Bring Peace
Recently, I learned that seeking the kingdom of God can also mean seeking to become more like Christ. Seeking the kingdom of God means seeking to become more like Jesus Christ through our personal discipleship.
As weeks have passed since I first came to this realization, I’ve made an effort to keep an eternal perspective on things. If our actions align with what Jesus hopes for His kingdom and with what truly matters, we can find direction and purpose in where we are going.
I may not know exactly what will happen after graduation. I may not know where I will live or what opportunities will come my way. But I can choose what I focus on today. I can prepare for my future without being consumed by it. I can seek God, serve others, and try to become more like Christ.
Perhaps that is part of what it means to consider the lilies. They remind me that I do not have to know everything about tomorrow. I can do what is within my control and trust God with the rest.
