Serve God.....Now!

In the course of a conversation with a friend, we touched on the subject of the unpredictability of life. Her words were that we should always live for today, because we are really unsure about tomorrow. What truth in such few words! Let's disect her words for a short bit.

"Yesterday is Gone"

Sometimes it is very hard not to live yesterday. We live in yesterday's worries, fears, insecurities, guilt, and shame. It is so easy to dwell on who we once were, instead of who God wants us to be now. The past can hurt. Much of time when we dwell on our past, we relive the hurt.

Obviously Christians in the first century also struggled with their former lives of sin. Paul assured them that they had been washed from their past sins (1 Corinthians 6:11), that they were a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and that God wanted them to "put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). What comfort there is in knowing that we don't have to live yesterday!

"Live For Him....Today"

Paul also stated that, "now is the favorable time; now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Now. This is hard to realize, is it not? Today is the only day that we are assured of (and today is not even promised to end). Now is the time to serve Him. Now is the time to be faithful. Now is the time to obey the gospel.

You may have heard folks say, "Well I'll get to that work next year when things aren't as hectic" or "I'm waiting to obey the gospel when I'm not so involved in sin". What presumptuous statements! Never take God's love and grace for granted!

"Tomorrow is Not Promised"

This was not the attitude of the rich fool. His rationale was "I have plenty of time to relax, eat, drink, and be merry (Luke 12:18-20). However, he realized something totally different when he suddenly died!

We must all meet God in judgment, one day (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:27). As I stand before him as an individual, I will give an acoount for my life, not anyone else's. But when will that day be? Jesus said that no one knows (Matthew 24:36). Either I will die first, or the Savior will return first. I really do not know.

That is why it is of utmost importance to live for Christ right now, today, this very moment, this very minute, this very second.