“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” – Corrie ten Boom
I’ve spent more nights than I’d like to admit lying awake, mentally rehearsing conversations that haven’t happened yet, solving problems that may never exist, and preparing for disasters that are purely fictional. Sound familiar?
We play this exhausting game of “what ifs.” What if the ministry funds don’t come through? What if that difficult conversation goes sideways? What if we can’t make payroll next month? What if the kids struggle?
Here’s what I’ve learned the hard way: when we use today’s strength to fight tomorrow’s battles, we end up too depleted to handle what’s actually in front of us right now. We’re so busy shadow-boxing future troubles that we miss the grace God has already provided for this moment.
Learning from a Woman Who Knew Real Sorrow
Corrie ten Boom understood worry at a level most of us will never face. She watched her family torn apart in a Nazi concentration camp. She held her sister Betsie as she died. She knew what real tomorrow-sorrow looked like.
And yet, from that place of unthinkable loss, she could say with authority: Worry doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow—it just empties today of its strength.
If anyone had earned the right to live in constant fear of what might happen next, it was Corrie. Instead, she chose something radically different: trust, one day at a time.
What Jesus Actually Said About Tomorrow
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:34
Jesus wasn’t being flippant. He was being honest. Yes, each day has its own trouble—He didn’t sugarcoat that. But He was also saying something revolutionary: the strength you need for tomorrow’s trouble will be there tomorrow. It’s not available today because you don’t need it today.
Remember how God fed the Israelites in the wilderness? Every morning, fresh manna appeared—just enough for that day. When they tried to hoard it out of fear, it spoiled and bred worms (Exodus 16). There’s a picture worth pondering.
God’s provision is designed for daily dependence, not anxious stockpiling. When we try to store up strength for future battles, it spoils in our hands. But when we trust Him for what we need right now? That’s when we discover His grace is always sufficient—always right on time.
Three Practical Steps to Reclaim Today’s Strength
1. Start Your Day by Shrinking Your Timeline
Before you check your phone or dive into your to-do list, take five minutes to just breathe and pray. Don’t ask God for strength for the whole week or even the whole day. Ask Him for strength for the next hour. For the next conversation. For the next decision.
“Lord, I don’t know what this afternoon holds, but help me trust You with what’s right in front of me this morning.”
You’d be amazed how manageable life feels when you stop trying to shoulder a week’s worth of worry before breakfast.
2. Name Your Worries and Hand Them Over
Here’s a simple practice to add to your prayer life: keep a running list of things you’re tempted to worry about. When anxiety starts spiraling, write it down and pray 1 Peter 5:7 over it: “Lord, I’m casting this anxiety on You because You care about me—and You care about this situation more than I do.”
Then leave it there. Don’t pick it back up and carry it around all day. (Okay, sometimes I pick it back up. But then give it back to Him again. Progress, not perfection.)
3. Look for God’s Faithfulness Today
Before you go to bed tonight, think of (better yet, write it down) one specific way God showed up for you today. Not yesterday. Not last month. Today.
Maybe it was wisdom for a hard conversation. Maybe it was patience you didn’t think you had. Maybe it was just enough energy to get through an exhausting afternoon. When we train ourselves to notice His daily provision, worry loses its grip.
A Great Resource
If this resonates with you, I’d encourage you to pick up Elisabeth Elliot’s Keep a Quiet Heart. It’s a collection of reflections on trusting God one day at a time, written by a woman who knew profound loss and still chose faith. Her words have steadied many in trying times.
You Weren’t Made to Carry Tomorrow
Your peace doesn’t come from figuring everything out in advance. It comes from trusting the One who’s already in your tomorrow.
Right now, in this moment, you are deeply loved. Strength is available. And tomorrow? It’s in far better hands than yours or mine.
God’s grace isn’t rationed. It’s abundant. But it’s given day by day, moment by moment, exactly when we need it. Not a second before. Not a second late.
So let today be enough. Because God’s grace is enough—for today, for you, for this very moment.
Reflection Verse:
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:34