Time Traveling

Several weeks ago, during our Wednesday Bible study, we were discussing the closing verses of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.  As we reflected on the challenge of living out Christ's teachings in the real world, someone commented about his own struggles in dwelling on the future—thinking about what might happen instead of trusting God in the present moment.  That observation sparked a thought:  Many of us spend our lives time traveling.

Not physically, of course, but mentally and emotionally.  We journey backward into the past, revisiting old failures, regrets, embarrassments, and wounds.  Or we leap forward into the future, imagining worst-case scenarios, attempting to control outcomes that have not yet arrived, and burdening ourselves with anxieties about tomorrow.  In all this traveling, we neglect the one place where God has actually placed us:  the present.

Jesus addresses this tendency directly in the Sermon on the Mount.  After speaking about food, clothing, and the worries of daily life, He tells His followers:  “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).  What a simple statement—and what a challenging command.

 Most of us would rather live somewhere other than today.  The past often tempts us with shame and regret.  If only we had made a different decision.  If only we had spoken differently.  If only we could undo what has been done.  The future presents a different temptation.  We imagine what might happen and feel compelled to prepare for every possibility.  We seek certainty where none is available.  We want control over circumstances that remain entirely outside our grasp.  But faith calls us elsewhere:  Faith calls us to live in here and now.

Grace addresses the past.  Through Christ, our sins are forgiven, our failures redeemed, and our shame covered.  We need not remain imprisoned by what has already happened.  Likewise, God's providence secures the future.  Scripture repeatedly reminds us that our heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask Him.  The future is not unknown to God, even when it is unknown to us.  If grace covers the past and providence governs the future, then the Christian is free to live faithfully in the present.

Several years ago, Jordan Peterson commented on Jesus' teaching about the lilies of the field.  He observed that many people stop reading too soon.  They hear Christ's command not to worry and interpret it as a call to passivity.  Yet Jesus immediately adds a crucial qualification:  “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33).

The point is not to do nothing.  The point is to orient your life toward the highest good—to seek God's Kingdom—and trust Him with the results.  That is the opposite of time traveling.  Instead of reliving yesterday's failures, seek God's Kingdom today.  Instead of attempting to control tomorrow's uncertainties, seek God's Kingdom today.  Instead of dwelling on what cannot be changed or controlled, focus on what Christ has placed before you in this moment.

The house built upon the rock in Matthew 7 was not constructed through anxiety about future storms.  It was built through faithful obedience in the present.  The wise builder simply did the work set before him.  The same is true for us. 

Yesterday belongs to grace.  Tomorrow belongs to providence.  Today belongs to faith.

In Christ,

Mort Taylor 

For those interested, Jordan Peterson's remarks on Matthew 6 and the lilies of the field can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxvpFwlr5kA