excerpts from Rick Warren Daily Hope
We can’t be so now focused that we aren’t prepared for the future, but we also can’t be so future focused that we miss the moment and opportunities of today.
Investment is giving into something now for a return later. Nevertheless, you must invest as much into an existing today as you do into an unknown tomorrow.
Don’t miss today.
Don’t fret over tomorrow.
And, don’t regret over the past.
Instead…
LEARN FROM THE PAST.
LIVE IN THE PRESENT.
LAY OUT A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
The good thing about the future is that it doesn’t hit us all at once. If you could see every event in your entire life (good and bad) laid out ahead of you, it would no doubt be overwhelming. So maybe that’s why God gives it to us in bite-size, 24-hour segments.
Since God gives you only one day at a time, that’s how he expects you to approach your life. Live it one day at a time, and make it count.
Jesus taught: “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34 NLT)
Is Jesus actually saying, to stop borrowing trouble. If there’s something happening next week, don’t mess up today by worrying about it?
Worry can’t change the past. It can’t control the future. Worry only makes you miserable today.
God gives you all the grace you need—but just enough for today, every day. He doesn’t stockpile all that power in your life and give it to you for the next week or month. As a matter of fact, He says to pray like this, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11 ESV)
He wants you to take life one day at a time.
When you don’t know what the future holds, you can still take life one day at a time. That’s all you are meant to do!
When everything is uncertain and you don’t know how to make wise decisions for the future, then just take care of today. It’s important to plan, pray, and trust God for the future, but he also expects you to put your energy into making today count too.
A great way to do this is to focus instead on the things that truly matter and the things that God loves and cares about. That’s how you make today count.
God doesn’t want you to worry about tomorrow, but he doesn’t want you to consider it a guarantee either.
Here’s what Proverbs 27:1 in the MSG says, “Don’t brashly announce what you’re going to do tomorrow; you don’t know the first thing about tomorrow, or what it may hold.”
When everything else in life seems unclear, this verse is about as clear as you can get.
Plan for tomorrow, but live for today. God will give you everything that you need to be obedient in both.
3 THINGS TO LIVE BY:
- LIVE IN THE PRESENT AND MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY MOMENT.
- DON’T TAKE LIFE OR YOURSELF TOO SERIOUS.
- ALWAYS BE A WORK IN PROGRESS THAT IS ALWAYS GROWING AND EVER LEARNING.
