What about Now!
There is an old adage – “The
past is a cancelled check, the future is a promissory note, and only the
present is cash on hand!”
This year is officially half way over, nothing from the past can be changed
or altered; however, the canvas for the rest of the year is completely
clean. The only time that we can do anything about is the moment we are in
right now. There is no time like the present because it is the only time
that we truly own!
This is not to say that all points of time in reference to our choices are
not vital; they are! However, this is only true with a proper perspective or
panoramic view, to use with the choices we make right now!
This is the message of the Apostle Paul to the Christians at Colossi, note:
Colossians 3:1-4
“If then you
were
raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is,
sitting at the right hand of God.
2
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3
For you died, and your life
is
hidden with Christ in God.
4
When
Christ who is
our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
There are three prepositions of importance
here which give substance to the verbs;
“were” – past tense,
“is”
– present tense,
“when”
– future tense. In the third case, the noun is actually inserted next to the
preposition, because the verb is predicated on the appearing of the noun.
These prepositions give substance of time to
the actions they are tied to; but if you notice, every instruction based on
the importance of tense is to be acted upon
NOW!
What They Did!
They were told to remember the past; but to
remember it for motivation (Vs.1
– which is a premise that Paul already established in
2:11-13,
their baptism), and avoidance (Vs.
5-11, never to return to the
behavior of the Old Man).
What They Should Be Doing!
They were instructed to be wrapped up,
completely blanketed with Christ for everything they do
RIGHT NOW! This is the character
building of the
“New Man”
(Vs.
12-17).
What Their Goal Should Be!
They are instructed to keep their eye on the prize, and what has given them
the privilege to be able to do this; this drives the proper choices today!
How do we redeem the past? By acting
NOW!
How do we purposefully drive our lives
towards proper Christian living? By acting
NOW,
guided by the
WORD of GOD!
How do we guard the future? By acting
NOW!
We prepare for the future, but we live in the now, guided by the lessons of
the past!
James 4:13-17
“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a
city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;
14
whereas you do not know what
will happen
tomorrow. For what is
your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then
vanishes away.
15
Instead you
ought
to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
16
But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17
Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do
it,
to him it is sin.”
This is a Panoramic View of the Importance of Today!