What Does ‘Do Not Worry About Tomorrow’ Mean? (Matthew 6:34)

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 NIV

When Jesus says “do not worry about tomorrow,” He’s not telling us to ignore the future, pretend life is easy, or stop caring about what’s ahead. He’s telling us to trust God enough that fear about tomorrow stops stealing our time and energy today. So what does that actually look like?

Living in the Present

As followers of Christ, remembering what God has done in the past and trusting Him with the future can actually help us live more fully in the present. But there’s a fine line between healthy and unhealthy thoughts about the past and future.

Remembering meaningful moments can lead to gratitude and connection, and prayerfully planning for the future can reflect faith in God. The problem comes when we get stuck—replaying the past or obsessing over the future—and then stop living in the present moment God has given us. 

So how do we know when our thinking has crossed the line from healthy to unhealthy?

When We Stop Living in the Present

I love the way author Jen Wilkin talks about living in the present. She shares four types of thinking that can pull our attention away from what God has for us today. 

• Sinful nostalgia: idolizing a time when life was “better” or “simpler,” resulting in perpetual discontentment with our present circumstances
• Regret: dwelling in past mistakes or hurts, robbing us of joy in our present circumstances
• Sinful anticipation: constantly coveting the next stage of life
• Anxiety: dreading the future, fearing uncertainty or potentialities

I’ve found myself stuck in all four at different times. Maybe you have too. In a fallen world, it’s easy for anxiety and our own worries to consume our thoughts and steal our peace.

And this is part of why Jesus says, “Do not worry about tomorrow.” Not because the future doesn’t matter, but because when we become consumed by the past or future, we often stop living in the present moment God has given us today.

If you’ve found yourself stuck in any of these patterns of thinking above, that’s okay. It’s never too late to learn new ways of thinking that enable us to live differently—a process that the Bible calls “renewing our minds.”

How to Live in the Present

Scripture gives us two ways to stay grounded in the present, no matter what we’re facing.

1. Reframing Our Thoughts

At times, Jesus responds to our troubles by redirecting our attention to what has already been accomplished and what is still to come.

Jesus told His disciples plainly, “You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world” (John 16:33 CSB). 

Jesus wasn’t trying to convince them their suffering wouldn’t be real. Instead, He reframed it. Their pain was not the end of the story.

Scripture calls us to look back at what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross and look ahead to what He has promised. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that “for the joy set before Him,” Jesus endured the cross. He knew what suffering lay ahead, but He fixed His eyes on what was waiting on the other side.

Paul expresses this same idea perfectly:

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV

When our thoughts are anchored in both what Christ has done and what He has promised, we’re able to live with courage and purpose today, no matter what today holds.

Try This: When anxiety pulls your thoughts into the future, pause and pray honestly about what’s worrying you. Then ask God to help you focus on what’s true and what’s right in front of you today.

2. Remaining in the Moment

But reframing isn’t always what we need. Sometimes Jesus doesn’t redirect our attention to the past or future at all; sometimes, He simply remains with us in the present moment.

In John 11, Jesus learns that His dear friend Lazarus is sick. On the way to see him, Lazarus dies, but Jesus already knows what’s about to happen. He knows Lazarus will rise again.

But when He arrives and sees Mary weeping, surrounded by others mourning at the tomb, He doesn’t reframe things.

Instead, Jesus weeps. (John 11:35 NIV)

Jesus knows the end of the story, yet He chooses to sit with the weight of the moment among the people He loves.

Jesus shows us that trusting God with tomorrow doesn’t mean bypassing what we feel today. God isn’t distant from our pain and suffering. He is with us in it.

Try This: Instead of trying to push past what you’re feeling right now, spend a few minutes being honest with God about it. Trusting God with tomorrow doesn’t mean pretending today doesn’t hurt.

What Does It Mean to Not Worry About Tomorrow?

This verse is part of a famous teaching of Jesus called the Sermon on the Mount.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches His followers what life looks like in the kingdom of God. He talks about anxiety, money, prayer, forgiveness, daily needs, and what it means to trust our heavenly Father instead of being consumed by fear.

Not worrying about tomorrow doesn’t mean we ignore the future or pretend today is easy. It means we learn to trust God with what has been, what is to come, and what is right in front of us.

Some days, that looks like reframing our thoughts, remembering what Christ has already done and what He has promised. Other days, it looks like simply remaining in the moment, trusting that God is present with us and will comfort us in our pain.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:34 don’t tell us to detach from reality. They invite us to trust in the One who holds yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 

We don’t need to live in the past or worry about the future. We can choose to trust our heavenly Father today—that He knows our daily needs, cares for His children, and will faithfully provide what we need.