As we live through one of the worst times in recent memory, we may fall into the trap of presentism, otherwise known as “Yeah, but…” It sounds something like this. “Yeah, I know there was the Spanish flu in 1918 and the Great Depression of the 1930s, but COVID-19 is way worse.”
The problem with presentism is that it minimizes events from the past as being less significant than what is happening today. What this form of arrogance leads to, in many cases, is a magnification of modern problems and an inability to accept tried and true solutions.
What that looks like in the life of a Christian is doubt in God’s Word. When Jesus spoke the words of comfort recorded in Matthew 6, he addressed a generation of Jews and others who were living through tremendous oppression under Roman occupation. We may be tempted to say that our lives today are much worse but, the reality is, it’s impossible to compare.
Our duty today is to take Jesus at his word. When he says that we are not to worry, he means it. Who are we to question God’s provision and care for us during times of tremendous hardship? Ultimately, if God cared for us so much that he provided an eternal way of salvation, how can we question his love for us on a daily basis?
Will you trust in the words of hope and comfort in the Bible today? They were not meant only to bring relief to people long ago but to be a source of inspiration even today.
Jesus, thank you so much for your care for me. Let me not worry, but rely on you to provide what I need to make it through today. Amen.
Go Deeper — What makes you anxious? Be specific and pray for God to replace that with peace as you try more and more to rely on him.
Photo Credit: James Wheeler