How do you plan for the future without borrowing trouble from the future?
Question:
How does one balance planning for the future without borrowing troubles from the future? Matthew 6:34 says to not worry about tomorrow because it will worry about itself, and today has its own trouble. One must be responsible about planning for the future within reason without imagining all that could possibly go wrong and unrealistically trying to plan for everything. We can't plan for everything though we do our best within our responsibility and let God handle the rest. While one shouldn't throw their hands up in the air and be lazy by not doing what they can to plan for the future (saving for retirement, expenses, emergencies, etc), I know we shouldn't borrow troubles from the future either and overwhelm ourselves with trying to plan for everything that could possibly happen, since many of the things we worry about often don't happen and problems that do arise have a way of working themselves out.
I live at home in order to save money for my own place one day, plus emergencies, expenses, retirement, etc. I recently took a new job that pays more than my current one. With my current job, I'm working from home much of the time due to Covid and while the pay and hours aren't great, it's allowed me to spend a lot of valued time with my dad. The new job will be paying more hours that are more stable, but that means less time with my dad that I had hoped to spend during the rest of the summer. Of course, there is give and take when it comes to how your time is spent between work and family. And one should take advantage of opportunities as they come. Before I took this new job my thoughts were pulled in two directions: take advantage of the time to spend with my dad over the summer even though the current job's hours and pay aren't the best, then when summer ends start looking for a better job, or take advantage of this new job while it's available even though I won't be able to spend as much time with my dad as I'd hoped. Plus there are no guarantees the job will be available at the end of summer. A positive about the new job is 3-day weekends which allows for a bit more free time to be with my dad.
I'm trying to take a balanced, mature approach to this as I realize we all need to make decisions and sacrifices that aren't always easy. I try to think through decisions carefully and do the best I can with what I know at the time, praying for God's guidance and trusting that whatever I choose He will work with it for the best outcome. God expects us to work in order to eat, to be responsible, and to do what we can within our ability without borrowing trouble from the future and worrying. I'm trying to do both by thinking about the future and planning as responsibly as I can while also realizing the importance of spending quality time with my dad as we are very close.
I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.
Answer:
I would like you to go through the lesson, Planning for Uncertainties. Make sure you read the various passages referenced. This will give you the proper foundation and we can then focus on your particulars.
I don't know what the future holds, but I know that there will likely be good times and bad times. One mistake many people make is assuming one or the other is going to dominate.
Right now you have an opportunity to move to a better job that pays more and gives you more hours. You don't know if that job will remain available because that is in the future and the future is unpredictable. The lesson from the ant is that they work when food is available (Proverbs 30:25). Summertime is hot. Most of us want to relax and have fun, but we know winter is coming, so work has to be done. Your new job doesn't mean you can't spend time with your father, it just means a bit less flexibility regarding when you can have time together. And if you are working in the same area your dad lives, you will continue to be able to spend time with him, even after you move out.
When it is time for you to move out, it has to be based on what your income is currently and not how much you have saved. Savings is for emergencies and expected future expenses. The usual rule of thumb is to spend about 25-40% of your income on housing. Thus, look at what apartments go for and realize that you need to make three to four times that amount to be able to live on your own.
