Live in the Present

James 4:14-17 - What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. ​Keep Reading...

Do you ever find it hard to live in the moment? It's too easy to get wrapped up in the past… past mistakes, past triumphs, or past relationships. In the same way, it's quite common to live with your mind consumed with the future. Plans and dreams of any place but the present might typically overwhelm your mind.

What is God's best for you? He wants you to be fully present in the moments of your day. Why? It is when you are fully aware of the present that you can know what God is saying about your current circumstance. When your mind is focused on the future, you miss out on what God wants to do right now.

The Bible says that "anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." These are called sins of omission. How does this happen? When you are living in non-reality (the past or the future), you choose to bypass the good deed that is right in front of you. In the same way, when you live in the future (acting like you can actually control what is going to happen), you walk in pride. This is sin and will lead to more sin.

You can live in the present and be a person of faith in action. What happens in the future is in God's hands. Your only responsibility is to live this moment that he gave you. The kindness or good deeds that should be done now must never be sacrificed for reason of future planning. God wants to speak to you about how to follow him now in doing good. When tomorrow comes, he will speak to you about his missions for you then.

Seek to be content with this moment. Listen for the Spirit's prompting for good deeds to flow from you. Seize this moment. It's all you have.