November 19, 2007

Today or Nothing

I heard a preacher once say, "There's no such thing as a Christian life, there is only a Christian Day".

While his statement was hyperbolic, his point resonated with the reality I live in...we don't have yesterday, nor tomorrow, we only have today. I live in the now or I don't really live at all.

It's important that I chose to follow Christ when I was 8 years old, but so much more essential is, "Do I choose to follow Christ today?"

Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23).
I become a Christian for today...I choose to follow Him today...I choose the way of Jesus for today.

While it is wise to reflect on the past to learn, and while it is essential to plan for the future to reach goals, my quality of life resides in how I live today.

When my pastor friend, Rick, was dying from Leukemia, he said his greatest lesson was learning to "stay in the day". He knew God's power was enough to get him through the day. He celebrated to the finish line.

I want to take today with its joys and challenges and LIVE it, celebrate it, drink deeply of it, grow in it, love with it, dance with it!

Today is the present that God has given me to unwrap and I will do it with gusto and glory!