Focus on Today

Today is the only time we have for certain. ‘What can I do today to further God’s plan for my life, both professionally and personally?’ Perhaps you pray a similar prayer each day to recalibrate what Christ wants for you. This is how Jesus taught us to pray, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come… Give us each day our daily bread…” (Luke 11:2-3). Daily bread is God’s reminder of our desperate need for Him.

If we only dream about tomorrow then the realities of today lose their attraction, even to the point of becoming irresponsible. Future ambition cannot abort taking care of my current commitments. Today you can trust the Lord. You can love family and friends. Today you can serve a stranger, meet a deadline at work, babysit for a neighbor, go to the doctor, or plan your next special time with your spouse. Focus on today and you’ll find fulfillment, obsess about tomorrow and you’ll become sick with discontentment.

Presuming on tomorrow can put us into a predicament. This is why debt is deceptive and dangerous. Aggressive borrowing can bring down our financial house. We cannot expect to expand our business on the uncertainty of credit. We cannot promise ourselves ease of life and entitlement of affluence. Christ is our provider, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15). Faith is our filter for future opportunities.

God’s activity is not easily discerned; by design He invites dependence. Therefore, focus on today by faith and feel the assurance of His activity on your behalf. “Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things” (Ecclesiastes 11:5). What current commitment needs my undivided attention? Do I need to replace any future presumptions with present prayer and planning?

Related Readings: Ecclesiastes 3:22; Isaiah 56:12; Matthew 6:34; James 4:13-15

Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading?

How will I respond?