Many of us, (myself included), tend to either dwell on the past or fixate on the future.
We may look back on a certain season of our lives and say, “Those were the days!”. Some call it the glory days. I know that I’ve looked back on certain seasons of life that were really special and fun and have tried to replicate them to the present. Perhaps we have regrets from our past, and we know that God forgives us and makes us new, but we can’t seem to forgive ourselves and move forward.
We also struggle with the future. The unknown of what’s to come seems to cripple us if we aren’t careful, especially for those who struggle with control and like to plan out everything. The future may scare us, or it may excite us. We may become obsessed with what should or could be the next, best thing. Climbing a ladder until we “arrive”. Maybe you like to dream about what the future could be (which isn’t a bad thing), but if you aren’t careful you fail to live each day with intention and purpose.
The past and the future do matter because we are shaped by both, but what about the present? Being present in the moment we are in doesn’t seem to be natural for us.
Consider these Scriptures about the past, present, and future:
Past: Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Present: Psalm 118:24
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Future: James 4:13-15
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
As humans, we live inside of time. God may see the big picture, but on this side of Heaven we can only see what’s in front of us.
I remember during my college years, myself and many people around me were constantly asking this question: How do I know God’s will for my life?
This isn’t a bad question, but the problem with fixating on this question is that it’s future oriented only. I remember putting so much pressure on this question, that I often became anxious about the future and felt the pressure to figure everything out.
At some point, I ran across this Scripture and it changed my outlook:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Paul writes this Scripture with the context in mind of the ‘Day of the Lord’ – when Christ returns. He writes to this church that needed to be reminded of how to live each day, in the midst of difficult days. God’s will for them until He returned was three main things: Be joyful, Be prayerful, Be Thankful.
If they were doing these three things each day, everything else would fall into place. The same applies to us today. If we are doing these three things, being fully present with Christ, others, and the day before us, God just guides our steps into the future. We don’t have to worry about it though, because God takes care of it. God sees the big picture and has a purpose for each season of our lives. God does birth dreams in our hearts, but it’s more about the journey than the destination. He is with us every step of the way, teaching us new things.
*Take Away: We can’t change the past, and we can’t control the future. So, we should fight to live present in the moment.
This is easier said that done and looks different for each of us, but it’s something we should all strive for. As we remember what God has done in the past and we anticipate what He will do in the future, we also must be intentional with the present. Very quickly, the present becomes the past and if we aren’t careful, we can miss what God is doing right now.
This is a prayer I have, and maybe you will, too.
Lord, give us the grace to not just fight for, but live in the moment each day.
Some songs I like to listen to lately that remind me that each day is a gift:
Matt Kearny – Good Ol’ Days
Ben Rector – Just Like This
Cory Asbury – Good Things Take Time
Matthew Weaver 
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