Acts 20:24 NLT
But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
Living in regret is sinful.
There is nothing we can do to change the past, even something we did two minutes ago.
The answer to anything in our past that did not serve God or others is to repent.
True repentance means changing direction and changing our minds about a way of thinking that does not serve God or serve others.
Understand that this does not mean we are not to feel regret or remorse for the wrongs that we have done, but we are to lay them down at the Lord’s feet, change our thinking, and change what we do.
When our focus is on the wrongs that we have done in the past, it takes our attention off of the Lord’s work in front of us.
And like Paul in this verse, we are to be out there as a light with a life changed by Jesus Christ proclaiming the Gospel.
Think deeply about this; with every moment that passes, we have the choice to live in one of three places.
1. The past – This is where we have depression. In the past, we have the regret of the things we could have done better.
In the past, we have the “if only” mindset. This thinking is going back with the thought that if only I knew better, I would be better positioned than I am now.
As accurate as that may be, there is nothing we can do to change the past.
We are not even too long for the “good old days.”
Ecclesiastes 7:10 NLT
Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise.
2. The future – This is where we have anxiety. As far as the future goes, we are not even guaranteed the next second, let alone the next day.
We worry about whether we will have enough money for retirement; we worry about whether our children will get into the college they want to attend. The things that we worry about are endless.
James 4:13-14 NLT
Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.
Matthew 6:25-27 NLT
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
Living in the future creates FEAR in our hearts; we start to paint pictures in our minds of the things we do not want.
The acronym of FEAR has been called False Evidence Appearing Real.
1 John 4:18 NLT
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
The problem with this is that God uses our thinking to help create the future that we experience. But He wants our thinking to be on the things of heaven, not the sorrows of this world.
Psalm 19:14 NLT
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Colossians 3:2 NLT
Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
Trying to live in the future is taking away from where our attention is most effective, and this brings us to where we need to focus our efforts and thinking.
3. The present – There is power in the present.
Psalm 118:24 NLT
This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
The present is the only place that we have control of our thoughts and actions.
The present is the only place that we can choose to make a difference.
A key here is to have the Word of God always going through our minds so that the choices we make have a fighting chance to glorify God.
“John, what do you mean by that?”
What I mean by that is, we are continually being bombarded with messages. We have people fighting for our attention; we have advertisers competing for our pocketbooks.
We have people on Facebook and YouTube making video after video, wanting our attention.
The world is looking to take the only resource that God has given us that is perishable. And that is our time.
The only thing we know about time is this: we know when we were born. We know that we have 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The one thing we do not know is when God is going to take us home or when He is coming back.
Matthew 24:36 NLT
“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
With that being said, the only thing that we have of real value is this moment right now.
For most, there are two things that people value: their time and their money.
And through His unfailing love, He has given us a choice on how we use our time and money. And here’s the promise:
Matthew 6:20-21 NLT
Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Matthew 6:33 NLT
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
With Jesus Christ-centered in our hearts, we should have the desire to serve God and serve others with both our time and money.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your Word. Let it dwell richly in my mind; let it affect my heart, and let it give me the desire to serve You through serving the needs of those around me.
I thank You for the hearts of the people around me, and I pray that You continue to give me the desire and willingness to serve them with a compassionate heart surrendered to You in every way.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ, Amen!! 🙏❤️
