Did you know that God wants us to live in the present? His wish for us is that we would focus on each day as it comes, savoring all the goodness in it that He has blessed us with.
He doesn’t want us overly consumed with either the past or the future, as it is the action we take today, in the present, that has the power to affect our lives.
Too many of us focus on the past—what happened yesterday, last week, or last year.
We live with regret over mistakes we made, over foolish things we said or did, or just over circumstances that didn’t go the way we wanted them to.
The Apostle Paul sums up God’s desire for us nicely in the book of Philippians:
But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on…
Phil. 3:13-14a
Jesus Himself tells us:
No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.
Luke 9:62
What He means, I believe, is that whatever task or project we find ourselves engaged in, focus on it entirely, without worrying about the past.
At the other end of the spectrum are worriers who spend much of their mental energy focusing on the what-ifs of the future.
Well, what if such and such happens? Will I have enough money to meet all my expenses this month?
God lays out a pretty simple plan to combat this kind of debilitating worry:
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things [clothes, food, etc.] will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Luke 6:33-34
God doesn’t want our minds turmoiled over what the future holds. In the verse just before the two above, Jesus says that it’s the pagans who chase after all the material things in life.
As a believer in Christ, we can count on God to provide everything we need, day by day. As the Lord’s Prayer emphasizes:
Give us each day our daily bread.
Luke 11:3
Just as God provided manna for the Israelites each morning during their time wandering in the desert, He will provide for us the things we need when we need them.
So, if we’re not supposed to spend time and mental energy regretting the past or worrying about the future, that just leaves the present.
And that is exactly where God wants us to be. This present moment is all that we have. The past can’t be changed, and the future isn’t guaranteed.
Our lives are literally lived out moment by moment, and they are shaped by our decisions made each passing second.
As the psalmist writes:
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Ps. 118:24
We need to focus all our energies on working and living for the Lord today, because that is all we have in our control.
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Cor. 6:2b
So, what are we supposed to focus on every day? Paul tells us:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Phil. 4:8
If we spend our mental energy on the needs and concerns of today—while seeking God’s will for our lives—we’ll be much happier and have much less stress to deal with.
Along Bumpy Roads 