The Joy in Simply Keeping Up

“Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

— Matthew 6:34b (NRSV)

So far as time’s concerned, we were never meant to get ahead in life.

Sure, we can do our homework, set all our plans, prepare everything possible, but still tomorrow comes—and tomorrow there is more homework, more plans to develop, and more preparations to make. Should this get us down? No, it shouldn’t. But we’re so apt to want the easier life that we’re prepared to do any hard work we can do today that will save some heartache tomorrow. But then tomorrow comes and we get less value from our planning and preparation than we’d like to have got.

But we can either be discouraged about the length, fatigue and success (or otherwise) of our days or we can choose a more appreciative outlook. Life is simply about keeping up and enjoying each and every step of the process. If our expectations of ourselves are limited to simply keeping up, we can succeed more and more.

Life is Simply About Keeping Up and Enjoying It

Now, besides the wearing grind of life, there’s joy in keeping up.

If we’ve survived until now—we’ve not succumbed to tiredness or failure too much—and each moderately successful day has advanced us to the next—then tomorrow will come and tomorrow will be conquered. We know this by all the challenges we’ve met thus far. And even the days that have conquered us prove that we’re stronger than the worst day by the fact we’re still here.

Keeping Up Is a Purpose of Life

There is joy in keeping up. Let us not listen to the discouraging voices that bellow their tired reminders through our weary souls; we can, otherwise, simply praise God that we have the choice to be tired. We submit to the tiredness or we continue on. Either outcome is okay.

Let us not listen to those discouraging thoughts that riddle our thinking with despair. Keeping up is a purpose of life. Keeping up is blessed. Keeping up means we’re doing okay. By keeping up we have the odd moment to plan the next moment of intentional rest.

It’s never too late to start trying. If you’re keeping up with your workload today or tonight, or even if you have aspirations to keep up (though you’re struggling to do so), well done. Keep on keeping up.

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There is great joy to be gleaned in simply keeping up. When we remain focused in life, keeping up is the reward. Simply keeping up is its own joy because we prove ourselves to be competent. Today is all we need to focus on—it has enough trouble of its own. Praise God, we only need enough energy and inspiration for one day.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.