Living in the Now

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

As humans, there are three things we are worried about: 1) our past, 2) our present, and 3) our future. There are things we have done in our past that we are not proud of. Sometimes we are afraid that our past actions will come back to haunt us. When it comes to the present, we are concerned with the decisions we should make now. We have bills that must be paid and obligations to meet. Lastly, we are concerned about the future. We think about how our needs will be met in the future. We have children, grandchildren, parents, or grandparents that may need our help.

Our enemy, Satan the devil, wants us to live in constant worry about yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The problem is that when we live in fear, shame, and worry, our right now passes us by. We let it go by without living every moment with purpose and drive.

The most important moment of your life is now! In the first century, the Jewish people were waiting for the coming of the Messiah. When Jesus came, some recognized Him as the Messiah. Everyone else was still focused on the future. They were still waiting on the Messiah. The Messiah was in front of them, yet so many missed Him. They failed to recognize the time of God’s coming to them (Luke 19:44). The miracles of Christ were all overlooked because Jesus did not fit their mold. He did not fit their way of doing things. They had their own mindset of what tomorrow would bring, and they missed the now!

The beautiful thing about the one true God is that He can take care of the three things we worry about. He takes care of our past by forgiving our sins and wiping them away. He provides for our future by making us precious promises in His Word and then fulfilling them. This provision allows us to live in the now – the present. Through His Spirit, every moment of our lives can be purpose driven. This allows us to make the most of our life here on earth.

Are we just letting time pass us by? Are we living in worry?

Living in concern can quench the Spirit’s burn.

It is easy to look back and think we should have done something differently. Hind sight is always 20/20. God redeems our past by giving us a message for Now. Our past failures become our present message. Perhaps you lived a life as a drug addict; that was your past. Jesus wipes away your past mistakes. This gives you an eternal, future hope. In doing this for you, He gives you a message for now.  Your present message will help others overcome.

Jesus urges us to live in the right now – the present. The past is the past. The future is in His hands. I encourage you to give your past to Him, believe in Him for your future, and live purposefully and passionately in the Now.