Now is the only time
Published 2:20 pm Thursday, June 22, 2023
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Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 6:34, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” It is pointless to think about tomorrow because it is not promised. The only time we have is the present. We spend the majority of our time dwelling on the past or contemplating our future. I came across a powerful quote by Lao Tzu, “If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.” This could not be more true, and we find ourselves depressed and anxious often.There’s a power and peace to living in the present. If we are going to act, now is the time. Time is of the essence because it is short. Our lives here are but a vapor that appears and vanishes away. The CDC states that life expectancy in the United States is 76 years. We have about 667,000 hours to live and much of that time is spent sleeping. Our lives are but a few days. We must choose to make the most of today. Savor every moment!
Revelation 12:12 states, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Satan may tell us all that we have plenty of time, but he is the father of lies. He knows the truth that his time is almost expired. “Now” is an adverb that means at the present time or moment. We have now, and we are not guaranteed a later! We put many important things off to later, when we only have today.
2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, And in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” Today is the day of salvation! Now is the time to begin a relationship with Jesus! Now is the time to make those much-needed changes! Now is the time to forgive and let go of the past! Now is the time to work on your marriage! Now is the time to invest in your children! This list could go on and on, but you already know what you need to do. There’s no other time than the present. Let’s choose to seize the day!
(Brandon Young is pastor of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church in Hampton)