Have you ever been in a place where you just longed for change? Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to pack everything up and just move somewhere else. To a place where I didn’t know anyone, a place that was completely new to me. I’m a bigger dreamer, and the idea of being able to reinvent myself fascinates me. The chance to leave everything I know, everything I am comfortable with, and start all over again. What would I change, what would I keep the same? The city I usually dream about going to is San Diego. I went on vacation there around five years ago and it was awesome. Plus I would have the chance to see Phillip Rivers play for the Chargers and sing the amazing Chargers theme song (OK so I do that anyway, but I could sing it with a whole stadium of people singing along). It is a fun place to escape to when I am bored with my day to day schedule. I’m sure we’ve all been there. We just get tired of it all. To escape from today we focus on tomorrow. I’m not so sure it is the best thing to do, but we do it anyway.
There was an earthquake in Virginia today that we felt all the way in Raleigh (whoa subject change haha). Yeah you read that correct, an east coast earthquake. I was at work when it happened. Jim and I were tossing a football back and forth (yep, that’s how my work meetings roll haha) and we didn’t feel a thing. I felt kinda gypped. I made the joke (or maybe it’s not) that we are experiencing the beginning of the end times (see Matt 24:7-8). From there we started talking about the churches that focus all their attention on end time prophecies. Every Sunday that is all they preach about. They are so set at making sure that you realize times are getting close, things are getting real, they want to make sure you are prepared. Now I don’t think we should be ignorant to what the Bible says about the end times, or that we shouldn’t be ready, but I do think there is one major thing wrong here. They are so focused on telling you what is coming that they forget there are things happening now. Yeah the world is going to end one day, but 1 Thessalonians 5:2 says, “For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.” We won’t ever know when it is going to happen, and when all we do is prepare for that we miss on what we actually have.
Sometimes we are just like these churches. We get so bored, or tired of, or fed up with what is going on in our life that all we do is think about the future. We think of how it could be, or how we wish it would be. The countdown to Friday night begins on Monday morning. All our attention is on tomorrow. We focus so much on tomorrow that we forget about today. It is a trap that is so easy to fall into. One thing goes wrong in our day and we are ready for it to be over. We all have our things we turn to to escape. For some it’s alcohol, some it’s drugs, some become workaholics, some it’s food, some it’s sex, we all have something. But the truth is if we don’t do anything with today, tomorrow isn’t going to be better.
The other night I randomly stumbled upon this new song by Kirk Franklin called “I Smile”. Back in middle school I loved the song Stomp (even though at the time I wasn’t saved, for some reason I loved it) and Revolution (whoop whoop haha) gets your feet moving, so I figured I would give this song a listen. I loved it (and was also impressed/surprised he took a hook from a Scarface/2pac song and used it). It put me in the mood to check out the rest of his new CD. I think when Josh and Eric got home they were a little confused when I was sitting in the living room bumping Kirk Franklin. Check out the song below.
There was one line in the song that really caught my attention. After the first chorus Kirk says, “Now every day ain’t gonna be perfect, but it still don’t mean today don’t have purpose.” That’s powerful. I couldn’t have said it any better (that’s why I didn’t try haha). Not every day will be perfect, in fact hardly any day will be perfect, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do something with it. Every day we are given the chance to make a difference. What are we doing with those opportunities? Jesus tells a parable about three servants that were given money when their master went on a trip. One of them was so scared of what was going to happen that he did nothing with it. He was so worried what his master would do when he returned that he didn’t want to risk losing the money. The master returns and finds out that the servant did nothing and says, ” You wicked and lazy servant! Why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.” Sounds pretty harsh, but then he follows it with, “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.” (Matt 25:14-30).
What are we doing with what we are given? Are we making the most of our opportunities or are we so focused on tomorrow that we don’t even notice them? Here is the secret to changing this: take your focus off yourself. When we get caught up wishing for tomorrow it is always a selfish plea. Every day we are given a chance to make a difference for someone, to show someone love. It seems backwards, but when we start loving other people, laying down our lives for them, we will find our lives are better. It goes against logic. How can I stop worrying about all the things in my life, focus on helping someone else out, and have all my stuff work out? Galatians 6:7-10 answers this. ” Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”
Let’s let tomorrow worry about itself. Don’t miss out on all the wonderful opportunities you have today. Let’s take our eyes off our own issues and notice someone else. Don’t get tired of doing what is good. We will reap the harvest of what we plant!
until next time…
P.S – Other noteworthy songs on Kirk Franklin’s newest CD Hello Fear are “Today” and “A God Like You”.
Great post! Not getting caught up in tomorrow is something I have to work on for sure. At my stage in life the world trys to get you to worry about tomorrow. What college will you go to? What job will you get? Who will you marry? and so on. It is fine to think about the future but not to the point where you forget about today! Anyway great post!
EXCELLENT…and just what I needed today!! Woke up in a very down and feeling sorry for myself mood. Thanks for opening my eyes back up again!!