Taking It Day By Day

“…therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself, sufficient therein is the trouble of the day.” Matthew 6:34

Recently a poll taken on a busy city street corner in a local city over a few hours garnered some interesting results on where people’s minds may be at any given moment.

People were chosen at random and asked the question: “The thing you were just thinking about before we stopped you, was it a past event, future event, or something happening today?”

Surprisingly, nearly 68% of the respondents said that the event was either past or future, while only 32% said they were thinking about something happening in the present time.

The results of that random poll in many respects is not surprising at all since many of us can spend a considerable amount of time thinking about past events that may have troubled us, or we could be just as prone to worrying about what is coming in the future.

A prominent athlete back in the 1990’s was once quoted as saying, “The past is gone and the future hasn’t yet arrived, so that’s why today is called the “present.”

Being able to live life moment by moment, day by day trusting in God’s grace for our present lives is at times a very difficult thing to do since the mind at times seems to have a life of its’ own and can constantly be leading us through all kinds of difficulties either once experienced, or anticipating it for the future.

Training the mind to be at rest in the moments we are living is a real test of self-discipline and conscious thinking, but it can be done as we practice some of the principles found in God’s word.

First, Psalm 46:10 tells us: “Be still and know that I am God.”

Being still, how difficult that is at times when our calendars and agendas are filled to overflowing and things seem to be pressing in on all sides!

Practising “stillness” is definitely not something that comes natural to us, but has to be cultivated. The  results of finding that quiet place with your Creator can bring about sweet communion with the One who made us, as well as giving us a state of calmness and a less stressed approach to life in general.

I have always found it interesting that in the Genesis account of creation that it says, “God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being.” (2:7).

We don’t often stop to think that every breath we take is of God and comes from him to give us life moment by moment for as many days He gives us to live!

The Apostle Paul in Acts 17:25 says it is God who gives all men “life and breath and everything else…”

We all owe each breath to God and at times when we feel we are not living well in the present time, one thing we can do is focus on the breath that He has shared with us for our life; not in a “new age” type of way, but in way that reminds us His Spirit lives in us moment by moment while we exist down here below and He wants us to enjoy His presence at all times.

Secondly, Paul also says in Phil 4:6-7:” Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer can do many wonderful things for a believer and one of the great benefits is to bring a sense of peace to our lives as we learn to share every burden with him, big or small, either from the past, or in the present or as we may worry about the future.

As far as God is concerned, anytime of day is a good time to share your prayers and petitions with Him and so ask away with a spirit of thanksgiving!

If a pollster asked you where your mind was (past, present or future), what would we say?

More importantly, if God asked us, “Are you trusting me for every moment?” (for the past, present or future) what would we say?

Determine today to begin living life with Him day by day, not enslaved to the past, or fretting about the future, but in sure knowledge that He is present with us every waking moment!