Preparing for the Future

One

Danger of Planning for the Future

One of the great points of the tenth commandment is to discourage greed or avarice, which is a desire for more money, more things, more material security – a desire that’s relentless and never satisfied.

Now the desire for material security is one of those desires that, if you let it run free, will never be satisfied. Because you never know for sure what the future will be, which means if you try to prepare for every possible outcome, every possible political or social or economic contingency – you will never feel fully prepared 

So what kind of principles should a Christian use in trying to be prudently and responsibly prepared for the future instead of anxiously and, in fact, presumptuously trying to be the source of your own safety without putting your trust in God?

Two

Our Lord’s warnings: you can’t know the future

The first point to make about preparing for the future is that you don’t know what it is. In the parable of the rich fool, a man makes big plans to build big barns, fill them with his harvest, and then retire to a life of leisure. And God appears to him that night and says, “You fool, you’re going to die tonight!”

So planning for the future has to be always very provisional, since the future is in God’s hands, not our own. You don’t want to get attached to your vision of the future, since there’s a good chance your vision won’t be fulfilled.

Fortunately, because the future is in God’s hands, it’s in good hands. Which is why Jesus tells us not to be anxious about our future material needs, “Do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” (Mt. 6:31-34).

Christians are supposed to care a lot more about growing in virtue and holiness. When it comes to financial and material security, we’re supposed to be different from the pagans. We’re supposed to be less worried about all that. Because we know it’s in Our Heavenly Father’s hands.

Three

Legitimate Preparation

That being said, it doesn’t seem to go against the Gospel to make some provisional provision for the future. After all, God gave us the gift of foresight, of planning ahead, and there’s no reason to think we shouldn’t use it. If we’re going on a trip, we’re allowed to think about what clothes we’re going to pack, and a mother is allowed to think about what her family’s food needs will be for the next couple of weeks when she goes to the grocery store.

For instance, there are certain things you know are going to happen. It’s not just a matter of speculation.

You know you’re going to die, you just don’t know when. So life insurance seems to make sense for a lot of folks. You know you and your kids are going to get sick, you just don’t know how badly. So health insurance seems to make sense for a lot of folks. But when you start putting a ton of time and resources into preparing for what might happen, then you’re letting your thoughts get into the realm of fantasy, not reality. And you’re putting your energy and your resources into things that might not do any good in the future. You’re not putting that energy and those resources into things that would definitely do good for the present.

That’s one way to interpret Our Lord’s words: let tomorrow take care of itself. Don’t try to get a handle on what you really can’t predict. Do the good now, not the hypothetical good later

Use the knowledge God has actually given you, not the speculation or guesses He hasn’t given you, to inform your decisions for the future.

Four

Other’s Needs

One of the most tragic ways we give up definite goods now in order to plan for a future that may never happen is when we neglect the real and present needs of the poor so that we can plan our life of luxury, comfort, and leisure in the future.

Mother Teresa spoke of three types of poverty: material, social and spiritual.  She would say, “Calcutta is everywhere.” And, “The greatest, most serious form of poverty is spiritual.” 

To live without basic physical goods is bad. But to live life without a relationship with God is far worse. Physical poverty will end. Spiritual poverty, to live without God, to reject God, that will last forever in Hell.

There are people now who are rejecting God in large part because they have no one to help them. What will we say to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of All People when we meet her after death and we say, “I’m sorry some of your kids are in hell and I could have helped them… but I really wanted to make sure I’d be able to travel as much as I wanted after retirement.” Especially since we don’t know if we’ll even live to retirement, let alone be in any state to travel.

Again, what’s certain about your future is that you are going to die. And when you do, your generosity towards the poor is going to be a big factor in determining what happens to you next. So if you want to really prepare for the future, have a bias for giving away your extra cash, not storing it up in barns.

Five

Trust vs. Abundance of Caution

In discussing the tenth commandment, the Catechism says, “Abandonment to the providence of the Father in heaven frees us from anxiety about tomorrow. Trust in God is a preparation for the blessedness of the poor.” (#2547).

Today people talk a lot about “an abundance of caution,” as though that’s necessarily a good thing. But you have to be careful, because “an abundance of caution,” may simply be code for financial anxiety about the future that stems from a lack of trust in God’s providence.

Remember, when we come before God, we will be financially poor. We won’t have any cash or credit cards handy. 

And if we have lived without trying to find our security in smart financial planning, we will not be distressed. If we have lived by making God our rock and our refuge, we will be happy and confident when we behold Him.