The tearful woman on my phone was mourning the loss of a familiar life. Her husband retired and they moved to a new community. After years of long days of work, community involvement, and activities she found herself depressed because she had nothing to do! “My life is over,” she said; and she was serious. I encouraged her to take advantage of her new circumstances. “You can’t go forward staring in the rear view mirror,” I reminded her. “Yesterday might have been wonderful, but it’s history. Learn from the mistakes, celebrate the successes but, always, keep living in the present.”
People who spend too much time in either yesterday or tomorrow will lose today. The consequence is a wasted life, doing nothing of meaning! Productive or not, yesterday's gone! Got plans for tomorrow? Good. Planning is important, but tomorrow may never arrive for some of us.
Today is God's gift to you. Make it count.
Moses prayed, "... teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, NKJV) "Number?" Interesting way to put it. He was asking God to impress on us the need to keep our days ordered so that our lives do not descend into confusion and chaos. Ever notice how things go to ruin, how messes develop, so quickly? In just a few days my office collects clutter, the back seat of my car fills up with 'stuff.' I’m forever picking up the stuff that accumulates in the hallways of the church! Where does that stuff come from? Unless I take steps to impose order today, I will find chaos has developed by next week!
Many years ago, in a management training session, I learned a valuable little lesson – “Whenever possible, finish the task you’ve started.” The man leading the course said, “Handle paper once!” He was teaching us to be decisive, to make a decision, if possible, and finish the job.
Unproductive people live in the middle of unfinished tasks that they sincerely plan to finish but never do - because they are paralyzed by the chaos their disorganization has created. I know that I must set aside blocks of time that are dedicated to specific tasks and work at them until they’re done. It works! A job as simple as paying bills or sorting mail becomes much easier if I focus on it, don't do anything else, until I finish. That way there is no leftover clutter laying around adding to the mess.
People live in amazing messes-- unfinished business, undone laundry, unpaid bills, emotional debts, half-done projects, unfulfilled dreams, unmet expectations -- in large part because they don't just do something today. Today's tasks, half done, get added to the pile of yesterday's regrets. Very quickly the whole thing becomes an unmanageable collection of chaotic confusion.
I can hear some of you commenting: "Jerry, you don't understand. I'm just not an organized person. I hate planning, prioritizing, and order." That, my friend, is an excuse. If you will not discipline yourself to finish a task today, even a simple one, then prepare for chaos tomorrow! And, please, don't complain about how others enjoy a productive life or a well-developed character because "they're so lucky."
One guy wryly observed, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." That could be prideful. We must not ignore the blessings of God. But, there is an element of truth in that comment. Ever since the curse of sin fell on Creation, both a Deliverer and diligence are always required to bring beauty out of the chaos of life. Jesus Christ is our Deliverer, but the diligence is left to us- today!
Want a sculpted body? Exercise!
Want a beautiful garden? Weed it regularly.
Want to enjoy friendships? Invest in others regularly.
Want to live intimately with God? Practice the spiritual disciplines!
Great work start with today's work!
Peter points out the blessings of God's gift of grace and reminds us that God has provided ALL we need to live productive lives today. Then, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he tells us that we have to make a decision NOW, to do something NOW, to work at ordering our lives NOW.
“So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus.
Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing.” --- (2 Peter 1:5-10, The Message) ___________________________
Hold tight to the sound of the music of living,
Happy songs from the laughter of children at play;
Hold my hand as we run through the sweet fragrant meadows,
Making memories of what was today.
Tender words, gentle touch, and a good cup of coffee,
And someone that loves me and wants me to stay;
Hold them near while they're here, and don't wait for tomorrow
To look back and wish for today.
We have this moment to hold in our hands,
And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand;
Yesterday's gone, and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment today.
We Have This Moment Today
Bill and Gloria Gaither ©1975 by William J. Gaither
Authentic, Accepting, Accelerating <http://www.WashingtonAG.com>
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