It’s all too
easy for us to think about our past. We
see pictures from friends, reminisce at family reunions, and tell our
co-workers about what we used to do.
Sometimes, we just think about we want our future to be. I am a dreamer, and I love to think about the
future and what I want it to be. I find
myself thinking about my next step (that is still 10 steps away!), or what I
want for my kids 5 years down the road. As
a matter of fact, I just recently found myself thinking about past friends in
Colorado and new changes for the future, but then God began to speak to me.
Now don’t misunderstand
– it’s not wrong to remember our past, or put together our future goals and bucket
lists. I wonder though, do we think
about these things at the expense of the present? As I pondered this thought, the Lord started
to bring a few things to my mind:
Longing to live in the past.
All too often we step outside and smell something that reminds us of where we used to live, or we go on vacation
and remember how nice it was to be closer to family, or see old friends and
wish it could be “just as it used to be”.
It’s not abnormal for us to have these thoughts, nor is it wrong. However, sometimes, I think we let these
thoughts hang around so long that we begin to desire the past, instead of being
grateful for where God has put us in the present.
So much so, that at times we fail to see the incredible things happening
right in front of us. Our kids making
new friends and building life-long relationships, or the blessings of God in
our home, or the fact that someone was moved toward God because we allowed Him
to use us. When we fail to see what’s
happening right now in our lives because we are looking behind us, then we end up
sacrificing our present for the past.
Desiring to skip forward to our future.
This is something I struggle with a
lot. I have such BIG visions and lofty
plans and I just want God to put them all in order right now! Sometimes it might be in
regards to a job situation, or maybe we want a new house, or we want the kids
to hurry up and grow up so we don’t have change their diapers, spoon feed them,
or get up with them in the middle of the night. It's not uncommon to have these thoughts. We want to pay the house off, get rid of the car loan, or just get
away! There’s no problem with those
things – it’s natural. You should want
to get rid of your debt, and if your job situation isn't healthy for you or
your family, then you should want to move.
We just can’t let these things worry us and neglect to take care of the here and now. When we do let these thoughts dominate our thinking, we usually find that our attitude
goes south. When the attitude goes south,
then usually our relationships, work, and family life go the same
direction.
So how do we
fix this!?!?
Be grateful for where you are.
The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18,
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you.” Your current
circumstances may not be what you want them to be, or what you think they should
be, but it is what it is. God has known
all along that you would be where you are today – He is not surprised! Instead of asking the Lord to move you, or
give you a new job, or resolve your financial woes – try thanking Him for his
goodness and grace to you. The will of
God is to praise Him in everything we do, and everywhere you are. If you find that difficult to do, then
instead of asking God to change your circumstances, ask Him to change you and
to help you realize His awesomeness around you.
Understand that God holds the future.
In Jeremiah 29:11 we find these awesome words of hope, “For
I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you
an expected end.” This great
verse constantly reminds me that God has a plan for my future! As long as I honor Him in all that I say and
do, and obey Him when He speaks to me, then I will have a life of peace. I may go through trials and tribulations, but
because my hope is in Him, I am assured that His peace will be with me (Phil.
4:7).
It’s OK to
think about our past, and sometimes it’s necessary to look at our future. We just can’t let those thoughts dominate our
mind and rob us of the present.
God has a
great plan for us right now, and we don’t want to miss it!
Coach CJ
Executive Director
– C.H.S.M.
Follow CHSM
on Twitter (@chsmhouston)
Follow Coach
CJ on Twitter (@CJPomeroy1
