Great philosophers have been saying it for years: Alexander the Great, Jesus, Paul, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Zane Williams, TONS of different bands and vocal groups. Yet, it is possibly the most ignored piece of advice ever given. Perhaps that is why so many people have said it, hoping that maybe with enough repetition maybe someone will understand it. Well, let me add my voice to the throng, though I too need to heed this advice.
You may be wondering what that piece of advice is, what is so important that so many important philosophers would all say the same thing? Well, they say it in different ways, Alexander the Great said “Carpe Diem” (or so the history books tell us), Jesus said “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34).
In his letters Paul changes the terminology and adds the concept of change to the idea when he tells his readers that they are a new creation, freed from the bondage of Sin, and thus they should not act as if they were still enslaved to sin.
A quick google search of “Live for today” lyrics shows many different bands have expressed this, or a similar message. With this message everywhere (admittedly, not all of them with the proper worldview in place) why is it that I still can’t seem to figure out how to accomplish this? Why is it so important anyway?
How often do we worry about what the future may bring, unable to live now, for fear of the future, or live in the past, unable to move on from “that one mistake”? It is important to be able to live in the now, for one thing, it is WAY more relaxing than trying to live either in the future or in the past. For another thing, we will be able to show our families the love and attention that they deserve, when we put away our troubles of the future. It is hard to listen to someone and really be present with them, when our minds are wandering away into the future or the past, worrying about that which has been, or that which is not yet.
It’s true that when Paul writes his letters to his readers, he asks them to look backwards, towards the cross to act in response to the sacrifice that was given there. He also asks them to look toward the future, and act in anticipation of the future. He calls them to be what they have been called to be, to live out their baptism and act in accordance to God’s will. But he tells them to live in the now, in the in-between time. It really is the only time that we can do anything about, our actions now cannot change the past, nor can they reveal the future. But if we focus on doing the right thing now, those actions can redeem the past, and bring us to a better future.
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