Enjoy Today

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”    —Matthew 6:34

Have you been to the cemetery yet this year? Some of you haven’t a clue what I am speaking about, but many of you who have lost loved ones and are feeling terribly sad and lonely know exactly what I mean. Have you decorated the graves of your departed loved one or friend? Darlene and I didn’t personally visit any graves so far this year, but we did send some flowers to be placed on my father-in-law’s tombstone.

As I work on a sermon about loneliness, a Roy Orbison song keeps creeping into my head. Although I am not really an Orbison fan, (I only know one other song by him, Pretty Woman.) the song, Only the Lonely, keeps coming to mind. The lyrics describe our human condition while validating a biblical and psychological truth. The lyrics state that only another lonely person can truly understand how I feel tonight because my love has left me. The song focuses on living with the past pain of loss in the present with a glimmer of hope for future love. The past broken heart, “Only the lonely know the heartaches I’ve been through. Only the lonely know I cried and cried for you.” The future hope, “Maybe tomorrow, a new romance, no more sorrow.”

These lyrics sound hopeful, but they come out of a romantic and earthly rather than Biblical worldview. Many folks who struggle with grief and loneliness try to live more than one day at a time. They attempt to live yesterday, today, and tomorrow all at the same time. As they grieve over past losses and look forward to the next perfect lover who will make their life complete, they never really get around to living in the present.

Jesus said, “Do not worry about, tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” God does not give us grace for tomorrow; He only gives us enough grace for today. Tomorrow may never come, and when it does, we can trust God to provide grace enough for that “today” as well. Psalm 118 records, “This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it” (vs. 24). God has given us blessings today to enjoy and celebrate. If we dwell on the losses of the past, we will miss God’s grace and the joy in the present. If we only focus on searching for some future Mr. or Mrs. Right, we will miss friends and family around us today.

Have you given yourself permission to enjoy today? God has. Jesus gave Himself on the Cross to take away your past sins and sorrows. Jesus prayed in the upper room that His joy might be in us (John 17:1). If you are dwelling in the past, you miss many of  the joys and blessings of the present.

Have you stopped worrying about the future? Jeremiah 29:11 tells us the God has prepared a future for us full of hope and blessing. If we will trust God to take care of our future, we can begin to truly live an abundant, Spirit-filled life in the present. Eternal, abundant life begins now. Today is the day of Salvation. So give yourself and those around you a break. Stop trying to live yesterday, today, and tomorrow all at the same time. Enjoy today, walk with Jesus, and love and serve those around you. Only those enjoying today can truly experience the joy of the Lord as their strength. 

Looking for Trouble

“Only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”  —Luke 10:42

My son began driving his first 4 X 4 pickup the day his learner’s permit came in the mail and I got him out of school early to take his driver’s test at the local State Police barracks. He has owned more pickups, all four-wheel drive, than I can remember. He turned thirty-three last month and currently drives a dual-wheeled 4 X 4 diesel pickup.

With the arrival of winter each new truck was put through a trial of drift-busting. Busting drifts is where you go out on the snowiest days and drive through snow drifted roads just for fun. One time he started down a narrow country road with high banks on both sides. At the beginning, the drifts nearly crossed the road. The farther he went, the deeper the snow got. Eventually, he got stuck and could go no further. He couldn’t back up, and the drifts were so high and tightly packed against the sides of the truck that he had to climb out through the window to get help from a neighboring farmer. You might say, my son went looking for trouble. I have always believed you don’t have to go looking for trouble; it will find you on its own.

In this world, trouble, stress, and care come to all of us. Employers attempt to squeeze more work out of fewer employees in fewer hours. School, sports, social, and medical concerns overwhelm family schedules so that true family time has become a rare commodity. Timesaving devices have allowed us to compact time and multi-task to the point that many persons feel ready to explode. Now, social media allows us to keep up on each friend’s life with the expectation that we will offer input making everyone’s drama ours. Immediate world news brings the most remote tragedy up close and personal. As a Christian, I must ask, “WWJD—what would Jesus do if He lived in our circumstances, today?”

I am reminded that Jesus walked everywhere He went. He only owned the shirt on His back, and there were no Internet, smart phones, or Television. Life may have been harder, but it was definitely lived much more slowy and much more intentionally. Luke 10 gives us a glimpse into life in Jesus’ time as He visits the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany.

Martha welcomed Jesus into her home but became distracted with all the preparations for her guest while her sister Mary sat as Jesus’ feet, listening to His teaching (Luke 10:40). Martha, apparently frustrated with her sister’s lack of support, asked Jesus to instruct Mary to help. Jesus’ response is illuminating for us. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (10:41-42).

Notice that Jesus said, “Mary has chosen the good part.” By implication, Jesus was also saying, Martha had chosen the troubling part. Martha had allowed her own expectations and the current cultural expectations pressure her into worry and distraction. Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God was speaking in her house. Stop and smell the roses! I believe many of us need to hear the voice of Jesus telling us, “Come unto me and rest” (Matthew 11:28). We need to receive the approval of Jesus, like Mary did, to say, “No!” to worldly pressures and our own inward drive and rest at Jesus’ feet. Mary did. When was the last time you truly rested and heard the voice of Jesus speaking to you? Why look for trouble? It will find you on its own. Why not seek the spiritual rest Jesus offers us especially in this world of ours, today. 

Eternal Priorities

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”    

—Matthew 16:26

November 19, 2012 is a date that will go down in infamy for the Bain household. I apologize to Franklin Delano Roosevelt for misquoting the opening line of the speech he gave the day after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. On Monday, November 19, my wife fell off a three-step ladder, broke, and dislocated her ankle. She is just now learning to walk with a cane. Although we believe God will completely heal her, it has been a long journey.

Just as the attack on Pearl Harbor and more recent attacks on our nation have strengthened the determination and will of the American people, so Darlene’s accident and subsequent recovery have caused me to become more committed to certain priorities in my life. Immediately, I was reminded of my love for, commitment to, and importance of my spouse and family. Suddenly, the things of this world: pleasures, possessions, and prominence meant very little.

When things are going well, you are happy and healthy and the future looks bright, it is easy to measure your life by worldly standards of success. When the rug gets pulled out from under you and you find yourself lying flat on your back with your wind knocked out, a more eternal measuring stick begins to be used. What is most important in life? What relationships and possessions will last?

Immediately after blessing Peter for confessing Him as the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus rebuked Peter for thinking of the Kingdom of God from this world’s viewpoint. “What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” Jesus’ question to Peter and the Disciples challenges us to reconsider our priorities. John emphasizes the same idea in different and possibly stronger terms. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them” (1 John 2:15). 

Jesus told Peter, “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Matthew 16:23). John gives two reasons why having merely human concerns is so wrong: source and longevity. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:16-17). The sinful allurements of this world are not from God, and even the best things of life are temporary.

As my wife recovers and we get back to a more normal life in terms of physical health, I believe our priorities and goals will not return to normal worldly ones. The things of this earth that really count come from God. The things in your life that will last forever are measured in relationships and souls. Our most treasured possessions will be those that last forever. We will continually seek to build up people and relationships so that they will last eternally.

I pray that none of you wait too long to realize that the things that really matter in this life cannot be stored in a bank, an IRA, or a storage locker. The blessings of loved ones, relationships with others, and the presence of the Lord in your life are eternal joys that require eternal priorities. What are you living for, today? Will it last tomorrow? For eternity?

Pray for Our Nation

“In His name the nations will put their hope.” —Matthew 12:21

How has the latest terrorist attack affected your life? I heard of one person who made a drastic commitment to tell all of their friends about Jesus. This person, a devout Christian, knew the police officer from Boston who was shot and killed. The Christian friend confessed that he had never witnessed to this policeman. Life is fragile, and time may be short for anyone of us. Don’t miss an opportunity to do good deeds or share the good news of Jesus.

Another person vowed to never again ride a plane or use any form of mass transit. Although we cannot live in fear, the Boston bombing has caused all of us to rethink the most ordinary circumstances. I followed a drug sales rep or young doctor down the hall in the hospital, yesterday. It stood out in my mind because he was carrying a large backpack. My mind drifted to some strange fearful thoughts. “Where could I run if there was a pressure cooker bomb in the backpack?” “How far and through how many walls would a bomb of that size go?” I never even looked at the gentleman; all I could see was the backpack.

Many of us feel quite helpless in combating global terrorism. It seems the world is in a downward tailspin. How do we stop it? Jesus once told a parable teaching people that we “always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). The parable was a lesson on praying and praying continually until God answers your prayer. Jesus may not have used the acronym but He was encouraging us to P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Something Happens) We may not be able to stop folks from making bombs or prevent radical ideologies from corrupting young minds, but we can pray and touch the power of God.

On Thursday, May 2, many people all across America have decided not to lose heart or give up on our country. They will gather at churches, public squares, courthouses, and in private homes to pray for our nation. It is called the National Day of Prayer. Here in Johnstown, in addition to prayer services in individual churches, there will be a noon gathering downtown in Central Park at the gazebo. The Celebrate One Unity Service will be held at the Greater Johnstown Christian Fellowship at 7:00 PM. Although the Celebrate One event also emphasizes Christians united together to worship Jesus Christ, both events will pray for our nation.

2013 marks the 9^th year for Celebrate One. This year’s theme verse is Matthew 12:21, “In His name the nations will put their hope.” The Name referred to is the name of Jesus. Acts 4:12 tells us, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Rather than fear or lose hope, Christians will gather together and declare their faith in Jesus Christ as the only Savior and only hope for our world. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Let us pray for the victims of the attack in Boston and for all innocent victims of terrorism around the world, but let us also do something proactive. Let us pray. Let us not lose heart. Let us not recoil in fear. God is our refuge and strength in time of trouble; therefore, we will not fear (Psalm 46). Let us unite with other Christians and lift our nation, our leaders, our churches, and our communities and families to God. I hope each of you will take some kind of positive step of faith in the face of the challenges our world faces today. Join with someone and pray.