The Present vs. The Future

“Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes.”

II Samuel 14:22

When it comes to having a right perspective on life, some things are not simply one way or the other. Newspapers almost annually carry reports of incredibly poor people, living in squalid conditions on the most meager of resources, who at their death are found to be multi-millionaires with vast resources. For those people, the balance between living responsibly with the future in mind and enjoying the present place they found themselves in could never be found. The fear of the future crippled them for the joys of the present life.

Before I sell the future short, we have to make sure that we arrive in the future ready and prepared for what God has planned. The musician practicing faithfully on a daily basis is investing in their future, taking the necessary steps to growth and mastery. The pastor studying for an upcoming message is preparing to deliver thoughts and insights that come from the heart of God and, hopefully, will have a life changing impact on his listeners. The policeman undergoing advanced firearm training, the firefighter attending a seminar on the latest firefighting tools available, the CPR refresher course for a first responder and a nurse attending a hospital in service on the latest medicines available for patient care are all right where they should be in preparing for the future. We could make the same arguments when it comes to handling our finances with the future in mind and about being cognizant of the future health implications of decisions we make today and of the diet we choose to adopt.

But researchers have clearly shown that anticipation of the future, and living only based on the expectation of tomorrow, can be the great enemy of present day happiness. We’ve been given today as a gift from God, a day to make the most of, and a time to stop and smell the roses, an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, and a day to learn and grow in some way. We hear so much about not dwelling on the past, and on our past failures and mistakes, and that is all one hundred percent correct. But, in some ways, we can make the same mistake by dwelling on the future and all that we are expecting from it. 

As the saying goes, we’ve only been promised today. Step outside and smell the fresh air. Contact a friend or loved one and get caught up. Start that project that you’ve been putting off. Do the things you resolved to do this year when New Year’s resolutions were so popular. Live in the present, not in the unknown future, and wring every last spark of life, every single bit of joy and purpose out of your today!

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church