Living in the now

Living in the present is something I'm finding really tough at the moment. It might seem like a ridiculous thing to say, but it's true. I'm always in the present, but very rarely am I living in the present. 

I overthink everything, so usually I'm either running through conversations in my head that I've already had and thinking about what I wish I could have said or done and what I wish I hadn't said or done, or I go through situations from the past and either regret them or wish they'd come back so I could do them again because they were so good. And if I'm not reminiscing or regretting my past, I'm usually daydreaming; planning my wedding day, wondering what my husband will be like and when I might meet him, whether I'll have kids one day; worrying; about that exam, that interview, leading that youth session; or looking forward to events I know will be happening in the future; that Christian camp or conference, so-and-so's wedding, the day I can drive, that family reunion, meeting up with that friend etc. etc. 

Now don't get me wrong, none of these things are wholly bad. God has given us things to look forward to, and He does allow us to regret things so we can learn from our mistakes and learn for next time. It's not bad to reminisce and it's not bad to dream. However, it can create a problem if you're constantly living in the past and future and never the present. 

God calls us to live in the now. And there are many reasons for this. 

If we are always living in the past or future, we'll miss what God is doing in the present. We'll be so wrapped in our thoughts, regrets, hopes and dreams that we'll miss reality and the calling and plan God has for us to fulfill TODAY. Colossians 3:2 says, 'Set your mind on things above, not on things on this earth.'' If we are always thinking about earthly things and situations, we miss out on what God is doing around us and we'll miss the part that we can play in God's plan. But if we set our minds on 'things above' - on God and His plans and what He is doing, we won't miss out on being a part of it. 

Not living in the present also stops us from enjoying it. 
At the end of summer, I went to Wales with some friends, and I decided to have an (almost!) phone free week – this is something I found very hard to do but I decided that I wanted to make the most of the week and live in the moment and I really feel that that allowed me to be more in tune with what God wanted to do in my life that week. Phones are great, but they can become such a distraction – they encourage us to not live in the present, to not enjoy the now. These days, when people get together we’re so focused on taking pictures to remember moments and post to social media that often we forget to actually enjoy the moment in the moment. We must remember that the present moment will never happen again, so we must make the most of it and enjoy the gift that it is while it is here. 
There's a beautiful quote by Oprah Winfrey which says, "Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift."

 Every moment we have is a gift from God. Every breath we breathe is because God has given us that breath. Because God is keeping us alive. If you are still breathing, God still has plans for you to fulfill. He still has things for you to do and for Him to do through you. Don't take any moment for granted. 
So I challenge you, as much as myself, to live in the present and to set our minds on 'things above' and what God is doing. This will allow us to live the most fulfilling and enjoyable life. Living in the past and future only leads to frustration, regret and disappointment, but living in the present leads to joy, peace and life to the full. 

                         Colossians 3:2 - "Set your mind on things above, not on things on this earth."

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Love in Christ,
Chloe xxx

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