I woke up this morning full of angst and flushed with thoughts about the “NOW” moments of life. Not in five minutes. Not in five hours. Not in five days. RIGHT NOW.
I have received this nudge from God many times through the years–especially early in my faith walk when I never once met a now moment that I allowed to soak in and be cherished–but this one was more like a jab with a little extra sting to get my attention. And it worked.
It reminded me that no matter how much stress and uncertainty we have, God wants us to enjoy a more abundant life in the moment…IN THE NOW. I was inspired again to live in and praise the present because that is what God wants! Being joyful on the mountaintops is easy. He wants us to exude joy, even in the seemingly mundane and especially when we drop into one of the valleys of life.
God knows the way forward in our life even if we can’t see it. If we are consumed by some arrival point in the future, we will miss the rainbows, the mountains, and the baby’s smile along the way. Most importantly, we will miss God’s presence and the joy of living peacefully while powered by his incredible rhythms of grace.
How do we reach that goal?
THE BREAKTHROUGH
My breakthrough on living in the NOW did NOT come from buckling down and forcing myself to think “present over future.” Nope. It came from my commitment to spiritual growth and the discipline of spending time with God every day. My heart changed as I got deeper into his Word and my relationship with Jesus blossomed.
I started asking God every day to help me live in the now…help me leave the past behind…and help me interrupt my fixation on what lies ahead in the future. That gives me the strength to savor his majesty in each one of life’s precious moments.
How about you?
How much time are you spending each day IN THE NOW?
“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:3-4
