Einstein theorized that time is a dimension quite like our spatial dimensions. The entire dimension of time, including its past, present, and future, simply is. We are the ones stuck at a particular location in space-time. While some find this concept disconcerting, I find it quite comforting.
Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34, NIV) Taking the liberty to paraphrase, I believe it means, “Don’t worry about tomorrow; tomorrow is already history.” If you are not content (or comfortable) with Einstein’s theory, follow me along a theological path that is “less travelled” . . .
Many, if not most, theologies believe in an infinite God that is not confined to time. If this includes you, read on! If God is not confined to time, does this mean he “knows” the future or that he is inthe future (just as much as we are in the present at this moment)? I am convinced that God is fully in the past, present, and future. These designations are simply different locations in space-time and God permeates them all.
Here’s the kicker: if God’s future is more than knowledge, then it is a very real future. In essence, it is a future that includes you and me. Not the idea of you and me, but the actual you and me. If God’s future is as real as his past and present, we are already there! We just don’t remember it yet.
When this concept first entered my psyche, I experienced a profound release of anxiety. Worry is only compatible with the present. However, once we realize that time is but an illusion, worry has no stronghold.
Friend, let go of your confinement to the present. The future is as real as any moment in time. Soak it in. As faint as the memories of the future are, try to remember . . . and let go of the worries.
– Sam Augsburger
