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Not behind - nor forward - but now

What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

I expect and hope that I will not fail Christ in anything but that I will have the courage now, as always, to show the greatness of Christ in my life here on earth, whether I live or die. To me the only important thing about living is Christ, and dying would be profit for me. (Philippians 1:20-21)

What lies within you if you are a Christ follower? Good things, indeed. How many of us really live with the knowledge that Christ is revealing his greatness through us? Most of the time we bemoan that we aren't living as we know we should be - focusing more on what lies behind and what lies in front of us. We are a bit weird that way, neglecting to live in the moment while we dwell on the past or get hyper-consumed by what is in our future. Christ asks us to settle down right here, where we are today, so he can reveal bits and pieces of himself to the world through our living.

Do you have the courage to live in the 'here and now'? Yes, I asked you if you possessed the courage because it can be tough to handle whatever it is that we are 'not dealing with' in the 'here and now'. If we are honest here, we will all likely admit there are things in our lives today that are a bit challenging. Words will need to be said that may be hard to hear. Chores will need to be accomplished that have been put off way to long, making day-dreaming impossible if they are to get done. Relationships that have been neglected for a bit too long will need some fence-mending. Do we possess the courage to face these challenges TODAY?

Christ in me - the hope of glory. That is what Paul was saying here - if we possess Christ within, putting our faith and trust in his ability, we are going to see his grace and power revealed. Grace to overcome the stuff we have been putting off for way too long - power to deal with the stuff that is harder than our own ability to deal with alone. Courage is required for the present - not just our future. What needs 'doing' today may not be what we planned. We may have to put aside our plans and embrace God's. When we do, we find that one step of faith - embracing his plans - helps us make it through grace-filled and powerfully. Just sayin!
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