Principles of Prayer: Part 8 - Richard E. Simmons III

Are you anxious about the future?

David Wells, who is quite the scholar, wrote a book about 15 years ago, called Losing Our Virtue. And listen to what he says about this as we think about the future and the present. Wells says:

“The world today intrudes upon us as it never has before, and one of the surest indications of this is that the levels of anxiety have never been higher in peoples lives. And why are we more anxious? There are, no doubt, many reasons, including a heightened tempo in the workplace, greater economic insecurity, too many choices, and perhaps, family breakdown.”

This was before you had to worry about terrorism. This was before 9/11. He continues:

“What is more, the extraordinary rapidity of change in our society powerfully fixes our attention upon the future, for we need to anticipate events that are in the making in order to avoid what will be harmful and to capitalize on what will be beneficial.”

But then, listen to this. Wells says:

“Anxiety, however, is nothing more than living out the future before it arrives. And modernity obliges us to do this many times over. The future is thereby greatly intensified.”

Yet we’re being instructed by Jesus to live in the present. Our lives should be focused on the day at hand.