I woke up this morning to an astounding discovery: God had given me another day! Admittedly, I don’t usually recognize this amazing gift, but lately I’ve been giving thought to living within the moment. You know, the “carpe diem,” approach to life; seize the day! I’m talking about striking while the iron is hot. Making the best use of my time. cf. Ephesians 5:16 Our Lord Jesus taught this very principle in his Sermon on the Mount.

“Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34

The first thing we need to do is see each day as a new beginning. Indeed, every hour and every minute is an opportunity to begin again. Is this not the essence of walking by faith? The Lord offers us daily bread. Who wants the old moldy stuff when you can have oven fresh!

Now I’m not discounting the importance of planning and goal setting. What I’m talking about is avoiding two common mistakes that all of us have made; living in the past and fretting about the future. Nothing will squelch your ability to live in an exciting, ever-fresh present like framing your life with “if’s” and “oughts.” Guilt about the past and worry about the future are antithetical to a life of faith.

The second thing we are to do is reconcile our past so that it loses its power over us. Sin is never truly dealt with until we meet it with repentance and confession. cf. Proverbs 28:13 You cannot escape the past until your conscience is clear. cf. Acts 24:16 God doesn’t want you to live with guilt. Rather, he convicts us of sin so that we might be restored to fellowship with him. For example, if you lied to your boss to keep out of trouble you’re not going to absolve yourself by simply saying, “oh, well, that was yesterday, today’s a new day, a clean slate.” No way. You’ve got to make that right with the Lord and your boss.

Napoleon once said, “There is in the midst of every great battle a ten to fifteen-minute period that is the crucial point. Take that period and you win the battle; lose it and you will be defeated.” God is the great I AM. He is the God of the present. He meets us in the moment. Focus on that. Believe the most important thing in your life is now! When you maximize the moment, you hold eternity in your hand. So, today discover the ever-present God who bids you join him in working out his plan for your life.

Nothing will squelch your ability to live in an exciting, ever-fresh present like framing your life with “if’s” and “oughts.”

1. You know you’re living in the moment when you’re aware of the battle. At some point you will encounter the flesh attempting to regain control. The Apostle Paul said, “I die daily.” By that he meant dying to the old self so that the new self, the new man that was created in Christ at salvation, would shine forth in Christ-likeness. Every moment we are completely dependent on Christ, for without him, “we can do nothing.” John 15:5

2. You know you’re living in the moment when prayer flows naturally throughout the day. As you go about your daily tasks you will find yourself asking for wisdom, courage, guidance, and protection. Are you living in the present? Are you making the most of the opportunities God affords you daily? Get rid of the “ifs” and the “oughts” and by faith seize the day for God. This may mean a radical change for you but it’s the only way to really live because, life is now!