Where do you spend most of your time? I mean your mental and emotional energy. And even your spiritual energy. Where do you find yourself living most often?
Is it in the past? Do you dwell on past sins and mistakes? Do you find yourself thinking, “If only I had…”? Do you wonder what could have been?
Or do you live in the future? You’re always looking for “what’s next.” You can hardly wait for Christmas, your vacation, a trip to visit a friend or the weekend. You also worry about tomorrow, next week and next month. You just can’t see how the bills will get paid. You fear you’ll never be married or be able to get pregnant.
Here’s the problem with living in the past or the future–we only experience God’s grace and peace in the present. We’re not meant to live in the midst of past regrets or future concerns. We are meant to experience God’s presence in the present.
Philippians 4:4-7 says:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Rejoice in the Lord always. Right now. He is near. In this very moment.
Do not be anxious about anything. Not the past. Not the present. Not the future. Instead, present your requests to God and His peace will guard your heart and mind.
What I tend to do is present my requests and then go right back to living in the past or the future. When I take that mental journey, it’s like I’m departing from God’s peace that’s available to me right this minute in the present.
I don’t know about you, but my imagination can concoct some pretty bad scenarios. I can begin to anticipate the worst possible outcome. I figure, I calculate and I analyze, but can’t see how some future situation can turn out well.
Think about it this way–you probably have a good idea how much you will be paid over the next six months. You don’t have all that money now, but you will. Little by little, it will be deposited into your account and will be available to you to pay your bills.
It wouldn’t make any sense to look at the money in your account today and panic because it’s not enough to pay your bills for the next six months. Your employer will give you that money every couple of weeks. Of course you don’t have it all now.
It’s that way with God’s grace and peace. We have enough for today if we’ll just live in the moment and trust Him. When tomorrow comes, He’ll give us the grace and peace we need for that day also.
The Philippians passage concludes this way:
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Rather than imagining the worst about the future, why not use your imagination in a positive way? Begin to anticipate all the good God has in store for you. Anticipate Him showering you with grace and favor. Anticipate Him meeting your needs in ways you can’t yet see. Look forward to how He will surprise you with good gifts.
Your past is forgiven. Your mistakes can be turned for your good. A trustworthy God holds your future. So forget what is behind, anticipate His faithfulness in the future and enjoy His grace and peace today.