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THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE



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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