Looking forward…
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)
Looking backward can take its toll. It took me a bit of time to regain my footing after the conversation with my supervisor. Why was I so affected by that conversation? My supervisor was respectful, even kind, but her words wounded me; I felt like I had been cut with a knife. I replayed the conversation in my head over and over. I wish I had said or done something different. I wonder what she thinks of me now. Next time, I’ll handle it differently.
The rest of the day was going okay, but not great. Around 4 pm, I started to think about what I was going to do after work that night. I had errands to run, dinner to cook, and people to connect with. A co-worker came into my office for a meeting I had somehow forgotten. I wasn’t prepared and was already done for the day in my mind… at least the day at work.
I couldn’t focus very well as I thought of my to-do list getting longer and longer: groceries to buy, laundry to wash and fold and put up, bills to pay, catching up on my favorite shows. My body was at work, but my mind was hours into the future. Why can’t I be present? I kept getting distracted by what was coming. I don’t like it when others don’t pay attention to me, but here I was doing the same thing. I didn’t offer much at the meeting except apologies. I couldn’t wait to leave work and forget my mistakes from that day.
APPLICATION: Get together with a couple of friends and purposely talk about what is going on right now. No phones. Don’t talk about what is coming up in the future. Just talk about right now. Enjoy the moment!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for right now! Thank You for today! Help me experience You in this moment. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?