When Jesus said, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself," he uttered a command that mankind has been very slow to accept and to practice. This command is too contrary in teaching to the ordinary beliefs of the so-called human mind, which looks only to its own thought-taking, for mortals to see readily how to obey Jesus' command even should they desire to do so. Starting as mankind does with mistaken concepts of responsibility, believing in the necessity of continual planning for the future, it seems incredible that Jesus could possibly have meant what he said when he spoke those words. Human sense is weighed down with the belief that it must always provide in advance for sustenance and support, as well as for its own activities, until it says, I die. Thereafter it imagines God will in some unknown way do the planning.
How pitiful that mankind should be bound by the belief that through weary, tiresome years everything is dependent on itself and its own puny efforts! Commencing in early youth to fancy there is pleasure in doing its own planning, it willingly assumes this obligation and argues for it as duty, until the belief of its absolute necessity becomes fixed; and there follows utter failure to see how daily to rely on God. Even though educated religiously in a certain general way to believe that dependence on God for guidance is important, human belief rarely goes farther than to think that He bestows some degree of wisdom and then allows the individual to start off independently in the use of it.
Just at this point Christian Science comes in with its wonderful illumination, showing how all may claim the continuous activity of divine Mind as a perpetually available omnipresence. In "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 28), our beloved Leader, Mrs. Eddy, has said, "He must be ours practically, guiding our every thought and action,"—not yesterday and perhaps again to-morrow, but every instant, everywhere, and under all circumstances. This is a very important lesson to learn, and it takes not only much humility but great steadfastness of effort even to approach its practice. To start in this direction, however, immediately begins to destroy the fear and anxiety which are the constant companions of false reliance on one's own unaided attempts at accomplishment which promise apparently an all too uncertain future.
If one commences each day with the understanding that God, divine Mind, is to be with him all through its hours, supplying the wisdom, intelligence, and love which alone are adequate for the working out of every problem, he will go forward with courage and assurance of perfect success. He will not be burdened with thoughts of a future, but will be able to give whole-hearted attention to the duty which is at hand. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," said Jesus; and Mrs. Eddy writes in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 161), "We cannot boast ourselves of to-morrow; sufficient unto each day is the duty thereof." When we once see that each day affords the opportunities to meet and master whatever of error we are prepared to deal with properly, we shall rejoice in the simplicity of our work. Present problems are quite enough to demand our entire thought and attention, as well as to call into activity the exercise of such divine qualities as we are to-day capable of using.
This close attention to to-day's demands does not in any way limit the ability to foresee as well as to forestall evil. On the contrary, it will so unite us with divine Mind that we shall be able to realize that "all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." It will also fit us for whatever work is in store for us. The fact is we cannot, if we would, deal with anything but the present moment. It is all that is ours. Guarding the present thought, reflecting the mental activities of Truth and Love in the way Christian Science teaches us to do, all will, all must, be well in the time to come. To use the divinely mental qualities which God gives us to-day will render possible a more perfect demonstration on the next day.
On the way to complete obedience to this command of Jesus we may find in to-day's problem much which seems to concern to-morrow. Wisdom may to-day unfold in some degree a future need which demands the taking of some present step. As we, however, watch our thinking more closely, and endeavor always to use only thoughts which are in and of divine Mind, we shall gradually discover that we become able to differentiate more clearly between that which belongs to to-day and that which may be left for a day to come. So if to-day there seems a necessity of doing preparatory work for to-morrow, it should always be recognized that—even then—it is today's thinking and to-day's duty we are at work upon, and to-morrow's step must be left to be taken with the wisdom unfolded when to-morrow comes. With the future left in God's care, when that future finally arrives, should unexpected conditions appear, different steps will be presented and a new light may so transform a past vision that the outcome will be much more glorious than could have been hoped.
As we thus come to cast all our care on Him because He careth for us, we shall partake more and more completely of the perfect wisdom our Leader expressed, when in direct line with Jesus' command she wrote in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 307), "Never ask for to-morrow: it is enough that divine Love is an ever-present help; and if you wait, never doubting, you will have all you need every moment. What a glorious inheritance is given to us through the understanding of omnipresent Love! More we cannot ask: more we do not want: more we cannot have. This sweet assurance is the 'Peace, be still' to all human fears, to suffering of every sort."
