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To the Journal editor:
A few evenings ago, I overheard a lively conversation at a local brewery. People were talking about faith, but the dominant note in the room wasn’t hope or joy--it was anxiety. The discussion centered on a persistent, nagging worry: Is what I'm doing right now enough to ensure where I go when I die?
It was a poignant moment, because it captured a trap so many of us fall into. When our primary view of faith becomes a ledger of works to secure our future after death, we subtly stop living in the present. Faith turns into an insurance policy, and our daily life becomes a stressful entrance exam.
In the Reformed tradition, we are constantly reminded of a liberating truth: Grace comes first.
Ephesians 2 reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our own works. Our future is already held securely in God’s hands. And when we truly grasp that our eternity isn’t something we have to earn through anxious bookkeeping, everything about how we live today changes.
We don’t love our neighbors, feed the hungry, or serve our community as a transaction to get into heaven. We do those things because love is our calling right now.
When anxiety about tomorrow is off the table, our hands are finally freed to serve today. Service stops being a calculated effort at self-preservation and becomes what it was always meant to be: a joyful, grateful response to the God who already loves us.
Jesus told his followers not to worry about tomorrow, because today has enough of its own work and grace. God isn’t asking us to live with one foot in the afterlife, constantly measuring our merit. God is inviting us to be fully present right where we are--to listen to the person standing in front of us, to care for the vulnerable in our city, and to embody Christ's love in our neighborhoods this week.
So let's take a collective deep breath. Trust that your future is secure in God's grace, drop the burden of spiritual worry, and step into the gift of today. There is plenty of love to give right now.