Have
you ever felt like what is behind is pulling you back? Do you feel as if your
memories of yesterday are your greatest nightmares of today? Or are your
actions of yesterday fast becoming your biggest undoing today? Are your present
challenges scaring you to the point that life is not making sense anymore? Do
you feel as if the whole world is currently upon your shoulders because of the
way things are turning out for you today? Or better still, are the
uncertainties of tomorrow giving you sleepless nights? These collections of
questions capture the three cardinal forces that have been robbing men and
women of living a purposeful and fulfilling life over the years.
Life
is a priceless and precious gift given to every mortal by God to live once but
meaningfully and in accordance to his will; however, it is full of what you
planned for and what you never planned for, it is bound by time and it is torn
in between several forces. Understanding the realities of all these factors and
forces will keep ones live in focus and it will also enable one to live with
sense of purpose, taking one step at a time, ensuring that regret is never
given a foothold. The most common cardinal and pivotal forces that man is often
caught in between are “the then” (Yesterday), “the now” (Today) and “the not
yet” (Tomorrow).
The
past is a memory, the present is a momentum and the future is a mystery. You
can say much about your past, little about your present and absolute nothing
about your future. These three are the complete phases of the story of every
man’s life and also the cardinal forces pulling every life that lacks adequate
and divine understanding in many different directions. We must all past through
these stages before the curtain of our life is drawn, but what matters is how
we all approach them.
The
“Past” or “The then” or “Yesterday” is a memory, filled with many different
encounters and experiences, some you would want to remember again and again
while others you wouldn’t even for a fraction of a second. Yesterday was once
the today and the tomorrow we talked about and planned for. Thought of the past can be a source of joy or
sadness to others, to some, the past is a prison where their whole life’s
dreams, aspirations and ambitions are locked in the cell of regret and remorse,
hence moving forward is a herculean task. To some, the past is a motivation, an
encouragement and a foundation upon which they can build the present’s
achievement on.
The “Present” or “The now” or “Today” is an opportunity,
a privilege and a gracious gift given to every man/woman to make the best out
of it. What we all do with/in our present solely determine the kind of
past/yesterday we will have tomorrow. Most often we are too lackadaisical to do
the things we ought to do in/with the present and before we realize, today
became our yesterday. It is in the light of this that Ephesians 5:15&16
urged us thus: “Therefore, pay careful attention to
how you conduct your life — live wisely, not unwisely. Use your time well, for these are evil days”. Don’t gamble
your present for anything; it was Winston Churchill who said: “if you open a
quarrel between past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future”.
Thus, live the present as if it would be your last, but plan in faith for
tomorrow as if you would live forever.
The “Future” or “The not yet” or
“Tomorrow” is an unfathomable mystery that no man can explain with certainty. Because
we are mortals, the knowledge of our tomorrow is hidden from us, it is the
exclusive reserved knowledge and wisdom of the Almighty God, and He owns and
controls the future affairs of all men. In fact, man can only make plans for
tomorrow but the fulfillment of those plans belongs to God.
The past is a closed door, you don’t
live there anymore. True, there might be pains, and tears, and shame and scars
that still hunt you today, they weigh you down and don’t seem to let you go and
live life in the moment. It will be a mistake of a lifetime to exhaust your
precious energy brooding over the mistakes of your past. Rather, you will be
doing yourself a great favour if you decide today to live the past in the past,
shut the door behind you with all its pains, tears, shame and scars, and face
today with fresh renewed energy. In case you don’t see any reason to do so,
just know that God is not interested in your past, so why give it a foothold in
your life
The present is an opened door, a
privilege and a precious gift. Yes, there might be battles you are fighting
now, problems you are facing now and challenges you are up against; don’t be
dismayed or discouraged, they are just proofs that you are alive, they are what
make you strong. However, fight your battles with determination, face your
problems with confidence and stand against your challenges with assurance that
God is right beside, giving you the strength you need. Don’t procrastinate,
make decisive decisions, utilize every opportunity, give when you can, love
while you can, break forth and live purposefully in the moment, live life to
the fullest.
The future is a blank check; often
it presents countless figures of uncertainty to us, causing needless fears,
unnecessary worries and unjustifiable doubts. Indisputably, we cannot say much
about our tomorrow; we can at best make plans, and wait to see how it will
unfold. Nevertheless, because we know little about the future, that doesn’t
mean we will let fate decide how it will look like, rather, the formula for
facing the future is FAITH. With this simple but effective and productive
formula, every fear, worry and doubt are consumed, giving way to hope,
anticipation and expectation. For no eyes has seen, no ears has heard and no
mind has conceived, what the Lord has in store for those who trust and love
Him.
If only you are your past, today
would have been a mess and your life might have been void of sense. Don’t let
your yesterday define you, it is gone for good never to return again, lock the
door behind you and throw the key in God’s vast ocean of mercy; live today in
the circle of God’s grace and see tomorrow through the eye of faith. Always
remind yourself that there is healing and mercy for the pains, tears, shame and
scars of yesterday, grace and strength for the battles, challenges and fights
of today and there is faith and hope for the uncertainties, doubts, fears and
worries of tomorrow. Break forth this day and live life to the fullest. God is
counting on you.
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