“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.”—Andy Bernard, The Office
The great irony of life is that most of our thoughts are directed toward things from the past or things in the future. It is almost unnatural to pause and live in the present. And it comes at a cost.
Dwelling too much on the past will either fill you with regret over the way things turned out, or it will fill you with lament that the good times are past.
Dwelling too much on the future will either fill you with anxiety over all the things you can’t control, or it will fill you with false security over all the things you think you control.
If any Christian ever wrestled with regrets over the past or anxiety over the future, it should have been the apostle Paul. But he found the secret to living in the present, and he was kind enough to share it with all of us: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12).
Being content in the present creates a peace that no event from your past can take way. Finding contentment in the present makes you resilient to all the anxiety about whatever’s in the future.
Contentment begins when you believe that God has forgiven your past and he has a purpose for your future. Take some time today to enjoy the present.
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About the Author
Pastor Matt Ewart
Matt Ewart was born and raised in Oklahoma and has lived in several different places since then, including Nebraska, Utah, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Alaska (for a summer). He has served as a pastor at NorthCross Lutheran Church in Lakeville, Minnesota, since 2014. Before that, he served churches located in Commerce City, Colorado, and Tempe, Arizona. Pastor Matt enjoys being outside, listening to podcasts, and tinkering with things in his free time.