Have you ever found yourself so focused on your tomorrow that you wonder what happened to your yesterday? This happens to me far too often. There are many Bible verses in which we are told about how we should not worry about tomorrow and should instead focus on today. One of my favorite verses on the subject is found in Matthew. Our Lord says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Its clear that the Lord wants us to focus on the present moment. I've heard a pastor say before that the Lord is not found in the past or the future, He can only be found right here and now in the present. Searching your past or your future may help in providing answers, change, and ultimately peace, but its most important to live the answers, live the change, and live the peace for which you seek so earnestly.
Beside worrying about tomorrow and focusing on tomorrow, I also tend to put off until tomorrow. In putting off until tomorrow, I make a critical mistake. I assume tomorrow. The Lord warns against waiting to move forward in Matthew Chapter 25 verse 13, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." Our Lord is speaking in the context of the Parable of the Ten Virgins. We must be prepared on this day in this moment. We do not know when the end will come. The Lord says that we have no need to worry about the end, but we must always be ready. For me, this means that I should live each day as if its my last. My last chance to tell my family that I love them, my last chance to turn a weakness into a strength, my last chance to share the joy of the gospel with the world, and my last chance to live this earthly life to the fullest living a life worthy of Christ just as Christ would wish me to live.
In this way, I choose to flip the concept of YOLO on its head. YOLO stands for "You only live once." You have one life and one chance to get everything you want out of life. For some it means crossing items off a bucket list and for others it may go deeper and direct every thought and action. It means that if I only have one life to live, I should get the most I can for myself and live a life for my own pleasure and joy as often as I can. Though mostly used by teenagers, I see this way of thinking often in society, including in myself. I only live once. I should just buy that expensive video game or take this time for myself while I still have it. Lately, God has been working in me to change this way of thinking. Instead of living for myself, He is helping me to live for others and to use this life in the way that He wants even if its not always the way I want. We only have one chance on this earth in this life to prepare ourselves and others for the next life, our Heavenly life spent for eternity with our beloved Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
It will come as no surprise to know that as an introvert I've spent a lot of time in reflection and contemplation. I've thought about many of life's mysteries, including and especially the purpose and meaning of our lives. What does it all mean? Are the persistent challenges worth it? What does God want from me? I've had times in my life when I've struggled to keep going because I didn't see the purpose in what I was going through. For me, when I can find God in every situation and cling closely to Him, His Holy Love, and Divine Will, I begin to look at the situation from a different perspective in a renewed place. Even in the midst of the most intense storm, I can find my peace, but only when I seek and find my God.
Procrastination, one of my greatest weaknesses, has plagued me most of my life. Since grade school, I've allowed myself to be overwhelmed by my school work and by my unceasingly ability to be a perfectionist and to criticize my own work to the point when I felt incapable of doing anything. To this day, those criticisms come and go with little rest in between. If you ever feel that you are your own worst critic and struggle in this way, please know you are not alone. Because I procrastinate, I often find myself putting off not just school work in college but also those key moments when I can work on myself or even do things I enjoy like reading and praying. I find myself focusing on my fear that I will never rise above my challenges. This leads me to focus on useless activities like playing video games for hours on end. In engaging in this behavior for many years, I've come to a conclusion.
If I focus so strongly on the fear of failure, I don't give myself the opportunity to even try. A small success even in the midst of a hundred failures means that I am growing in some way and that there is good from trying. Without trying, I stand no chance of even a single success and my chance for future failures only grows. The Lord has made this day and has given me many gifts and many opportunities to use those gifts. Now is my chance to use them. Now is my chance to share God's love with the world.
Procrastination, one of my greatest weaknesses, has plagued me most of my life. Since grade school, I've allowed myself to be overwhelmed by my school work and by my unceasingly ability to be a perfectionist and to criticize my own work to the point when I felt incapable of doing anything. To this day, those criticisms come and go with little rest in between. If you ever feel that you are your own worst critic and struggle in this way, please know you are not alone. Because I procrastinate, I often find myself putting off not just school work in college but also those key moments when I can work on myself or even do things I enjoy like reading and praying. I find myself focusing on my fear that I will never rise above my challenges. This leads me to focus on useless activities like playing video games for hours on end. In engaging in this behavior for many years, I've come to a conclusion.
If I focus so strongly on the fear of failure, I don't give myself the opportunity to even try. A small success even in the midst of a hundred failures means that I am growing in some way and that there is good from trying. Without trying, I stand no chance of even a single success and my chance for future failures only grows. The Lord has made this day and has given me many gifts and many opportunities to use those gifts. Now is my chance to use them. Now is my chance to share God's love with the world.
Heavenly Father, I love you above all things. You are my Lord and my God. I wish to always focus on You even in the midst of the worst storms. My Father, please remind me at all moments of my life that You love me and that I am capable of doing what You will of me if only I accept it and remember that my gifts are from You and You alone. I can do all things through You. How can I fear the future when I know that you walk beside me? Help me to love you by being a great example of love to others. Father, I know this is the day that You have made. Each day is crafted by Your loving hands. I shall rejoice and be glad in it! Amen!
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