One Day At A Time

by Elizabeth Stewart

Today's headlines are filled with the news about the current worldwide health concern due to the coronavirus. My home state has just had its first case, which is especially disturbing as the person diagnosed with the virus was working in an elementary school.  It would be easy to give into worry and fear, but what good does that do?  We can only do what we can do to avoid it, like being mindful of washing our hands carefully after being out in public, but we rob today of its peace and joy when we are frozen with fear, worry and anxiety about tomorrow. Trusting God with our tomorrow is essential to living our best life today.

It's important to live within the realm of the twenty four hour box we call today. It is futile and defeating to live in the past. Whether our focus is on past regrets, past mistakes and past pain or happy moments in the past that we wish we could relive, it's an exercise in frustration and futility to live with a backward focus. On the other hand, it is equally self defeating to be too focused on the future. We can become so focused on the worry and the what ifs of tomorrow or so focused on trying to prepare for all eventualities that may come, that we become blinded to the blessings and possibilities of the present moment. Of course, it's wise to do things such as have a savings account, to plan for retirement, to make a will. But, Jesus taught a balanced approach to preparing for the future in His parable about the man who had to build bigger barns for all of his accumulation of wealth. Jesus called that man a fool, because what that man didn't realize was that today was all that he had to live.

There is another positive result when we choose to live in the twenty four hour box we call today. Living one day at a time helps us to not be overwhelmed and defeated by life's challenges. For example, when I was a young wife and mama, I became overwhelmed when I looked ahead at the lifelong responsibility of being a loving wife and parent. So, I began to start my day with a simple prayer. I asked God to help me to be the wife and mama that He knew I needed to be just for that day. Everything shifted in my attitude when I began to depend on and trust in God one day at a time. The load of my daily life became so much lighter when I stopped trying to carry tomorrow's burdens on top of today's. Everything in life becomes so much more doable when we live in the twenty four hour box of today. How many times have we set ourselves up for failure by thinking things like, "I need to give up eating carbs for the rest of my life" or "I'm never going to yell at my kid ever again" or "I need to love that cranky in-law of mine from now to eternity."  But, when we ask God to help us to eat healthy just for today, be patient just for today, be loving and forgiving just for today, it suddenly shifts from overwhelming and impossible to doable and possible.

God is so wise. He doesn't want us to waste the moments we have right now with sorrow about yesterday or with worry about tomorrow. He wants us to know what it is to live in the riches of His presence in the present.

justfollowingjesus.com