What Will Life Look Like in the Fall?

Will you be able to send your kids to school? Will everything close down again? Will churches be meeting in person? Will we be on lockdown? Will we be told to wear masks forever? Will your job (or your husband’s job) be secure? Truth be told, everyday life holds a ton of unknowns. 

For some, it’s super hard not knowing what the future holds. Others are frustrated we keep living in limbo. Some hate having plans out of their control. All of us are affected in one way or another. 

In thinking through the current uncertainty, Matthew 6 comes to mind. It’s a familiar passage, but read Jesus’ words afresh with your current concerns in mind:

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 

You may not consider yourself full-blown “anxious,” but the wisdom in this passage is so very helpful for this season we’re in: 

>>> We have so many questions floating around in our heads, to which verse 25 reminds us: is life not more than plans and schedules or even economic livelihood? 

>>> We feel like we need to take things into our own hands and figure it all out, but verse 26 tells us God greatly values our life, and he’s got us in his hands.

>>> We often worry, or over-think, or over-plan, laying out all the scenarios, but verse 27 challenges us to calm down because we can’t change the future anyway.

>>> When we feel troubled, verses 29-30 assures us that God will take care of us. We can rest in that, and that should cause our soul great rest. Trusting in him is a must unless we are those of  “little faith.”

>>> When we get frustrated and fret like everyone around us, verses 31-33 calls us to refrain from acting like the rest of the world. Our priority is living for God and kingdom priorities, and as we do, we can know that’s God’s got everything under control.

>>> And verse 34 says it so well: We have plenty to focus on today. There is no need to waste time worrying about tomorrow. When tomorrow’s troubles come, we will deal with it then. 

So when your questions about the future get overwhelming, think of Matthew 6. Remember God’s got you. He knows what you need. Remember that worrying does no good, nor does an excessive amount of planning. Remember that you are called to be different from everyone who’s all worked up about life not being “back to normal.” You are called to focus on kingdom things, and trust that God will help you through the details, even the details that turn out less-than-ideal. 

So what will Fall look like? …Like another season in which God is in control. And in that way, it’s not looking so bad.