Life Hack #30: Take Focused Steps, Not Calculated Ones

Life Hack #30:

Do you know where your future lies? Our decisions TODAY impact out outcomes tomorrow, but we don't control ALL the possibilities of either day. We can "manage" as much as possible, but there are just "unknowns" we cannot really plan for. Knowing our future is important - especially in terms of where we are headed spiritually. If we haven't really made an "about-face" from doing things our own way, under our own terms, and for our own benefit, we might just be "play-acting" at this "Christianity" thing. Our future is as secure as our focus - that which we set our eyes on the most becomes the direction we take, and it also becomes what fills our "head".

Don’t bother your head with braggarts or wish you could succeed like the wicked. Those people have no future at all; they’re headed down a dead-end street. (Proverbs 24:19-20)

We might allow things we see or hear to fill our heads with ideas and images which really don't do a lot to help us move forward. Focus on what gives you the greatest worries or problems in this life and that is what you will be constantly moving toward. If we want to move beyond those worries or problems, we have to change our focus - do an about-face. Unless we truly have eyes in the back of our head, that about-face maneuver will bring things into a new light simply because we cannot look forward and still be looking back. Focusing on our worries and problems leaves us with a pretty miserable future.

We get "bothered" a lot of times by the things which really don't amount to much. The braggart boasts about what he thinks makes him look important - things he uses to puff up his pride and show off. The wicked get along pretty well, seeming to avoid all the pitfalls which should await them because of their dishonest ways. All the while we get a notion in our mind that life isn't fair, and somehow, WE were overlooked for the blessings or the goodies. We see the one with the goodies and we begin to wonder why it isn't possible for us. We see the one with all the success and realize the "littleness" of our present position. Focus on them long enough and we will learn to live a pretty dissatisfied and ungrateful life.

It is time to keep our focus on the things and the ONE who really matter in the long run. Once we realize how important focus is in determining our ultimate future state, we begin to consider making change in our posture. Have you ever found yourself just looking down at your steps? The problem with looking down at is that we miss the obstacles in our path! We don't get a clear picture of where we're heading, just of every step we're taking. We don't need to make a continual effort of focusing on each step if we are focusing on the principles God teaches us to live by as we 'step along'.

We can focus so intently on each "step" in our journey, but in so doing, we often fall head-over-heels into the obstacles in our path. We need a broader perspective which only comes by looking at the objective out in front of us. Today's objectives will differ from last week's because we are taking steps forward. If you are trying to develop in your intimacy with Christ, you don't need to focus so intently on the "steps" such as Bible reading, prayer, and the like - you have to focus on him - he helps you take the steps without even realizing you have taken them. Maybe some of our closest experiences with Christ would come if we just kept our eyes intently on him and not so consumed with whether we read two chapters a day, prayed fifteen minutes, or memorized twelve verses this month. Just sayin!

Today will be different

God makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet... God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud. Men and women don’t live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, but a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here. God’s love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, making everything right for them and their children as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever he said. (Psalm 103:6-18)

Memory is a powerful tool - learning how to use it to our advantage can be one of the most difficult tasks we can undertake, for we remember what we'd be best to let go, and we don't remember some of the most awesome moments God provides for our growth and restoration. If you have ever caught yourself bemoaning where you ARE, you have probably forgotten where you came FROM. We have selective memories, at best. Focusing too intently on one thing keeps us from seeing the things we might just need to hold a little closer to our hearts. We can be a little guilty of yearning for the "good old days". We want things to be the way they used to be - not because things were all that much better, but our memories paint the picture of those bygone times being way cooler or better than our present circumstances. One thing I have learned to do when I am hit with a sudden bought of "good old day" yearning is to run things through my memory again, but through a different "filter". I ask the Holy Spirit to make clear what it is I recall - not relying upon my "translation" of what I recall as the way it was. Even the "good old days" were riddled with some pretty heavy stuff and challenges I almost thought would break me. I just choose to remember the good stuff and shut out the bad and I don't believe I am alone in this "memory" issue.

What does asking the Holy Spirit's help do for our "memory"? He helps put into perspective the things we went through to get where we are now. In essence, he helps us remember things from our past which we've "worked through" - things we'd probably rather not go through again. We recall the "good stuff" - he helps us remember the "hard stuff". Remembering the "hard stuff" helps keep us from repeating mistakes, making unwise choices, and having to "relearn" lessons. Another thing the Holy Spirit does by refocusing our "remembrance" of events is help us define who we are - God's kids, cared for by his hand, and made right because he has watched over us through all of life's circumstances. As we go through stuff in life, he is there to help us process "through" them, keeping us from muddling through by our own efforts. We sometimes forget this important "companion" we have on our journey - thinking we have to make it through on our own because in our mind we think we ought to be able to handle stuff. We often formulate this belief of having to "handle stuff" we go through because it is kind of familiar to us - like we have been through something similar in the past. If there is one thing I know for sure, the thing which seems vaguely familiar to me may look and sound a lot like something I have walked through before, but there are all different players, I am at a different point in my life, and the event is only "similar", it is not the "same". We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit to show us the similarities, but to also help us see the uniqueness in the circumstance.

The important thing to keep in mind is the work of the Holy Spirit in helping us with our "filing system". You see, he is a "master filer" - he knows what will be needed again and what is okay to just "shred"! If you are anything like me, you have a pile on the top of your desk right now - old mail, notes, and idea sheets. Some needs to be discarded while others are important. Very few of the items in the pile actually need to make it to the filing cabinet - because they need to be saved for future reference. The Holy Spirit is attuned to the "right stuff" to save for "future reference". He can guide us in "shredding" the stuff which is just junk and the stuff which really doesn't matter once processed. Then he leaves us with the things which really need to be "filed away" for future reference. Since the work of the Holy Spirit is to both help us remember correctly and to file away what really matters, isn't it important to consult him when we might just be experiencing a little "recall" problem? When we allow him to help us with recall, we often get a different perspective on the matter. My "memory" of the way things were doesn't always match "reality". We "file away" things which don't always "translate" into reality in quite the same manner! The next time we get a little too focused on wishing for the "good old days", we might just do well to ask the Holy Spirit to help us recall the "truth" about what we filed away! He will help us see the work of God in our lives a little clearer and keep us on track today. We only need to ask. Just sayin!

Don't wait for the 'more'

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6-7)

Go ahead with what you've been given. How many times do we think we have to wait for 'more'? We have been given a measure and we somehow think that we cannot do anything with what we have been given - there must be 'more' in order for us to 'do' something. The truth of the matter is that we are already well-equipped for exactly what we need to be doing right now - we just need to use what we have been given!

We received Christ - that is a done deal. We are deeply rooted in him - another done deal. Can roots grow deeper? Absolutely, but the tree doesn't just go dormant after it sets down roots - it keeps growing, sometimes quite slowly and at others quite exuberantly. Roots grow over time as the pressures demand a greater 'anchorage' and the nourishment craved is sought with tenacious expansion. Christ is resident in each of us - now it is time to 'work with what we have been given'. 

We are well-constructed - all because that construction process began with a firm foundation - Christ! Now, is all the construction finished? Are there finishing touches needed? Does the 'construction' need a little interior redesign? Yes! The foundation is secure - the building is framed out - now build upon what you have received. This is a call to action - to not just 'dwell'. We are to be exploring the expanse of our faith - allowing it to be built upon, expanding as it is.

School's out - that is a pretty direct statement, isn't it? Time to get 'busy' with what you and I have already learned - using it in our lives and sharing with the lives of those we touch each and every day. Living is to 'spill over' - we are to make an impact with what we have been given. Can I make that any clearer to us? Stop thinking we cannot move until we get that 'more' there must be somewhere down the line. Live as we have been called to live and let God do the rest of his work as we do! Just sayin!

Are you near-sighted?

 Don’t brashly announce what you’re going to do tomorrow; you don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. (Proverbs 27:1)

Gandhi reminded us that we are to "live as if we were to die tomorrow; learn as if we were to live forever". We can be certain of one thing - tomorrow is not promised to any living creature - it is a gift to receive each day we are given. I have a little harder question to pose that may not make fans of many of my followers, but here goes: What will you do with your today in order to make someone else's tomorrow better? I didn't ask what you would do today to make YOUR tomorrow better, but what will you do with TODAY in order to leave a bit of a legacy for someone else's tomorrow. 

I think we spend a whole lot of time today preparing for OUR tomorrow should we blessed to receive another day on this earth, but do we spend OUR time in a way that assures someone we may not even know will be receiving a better tomorrow - a blessing prepared today for reception tomorrow? It could be we give of our time at a local food bank, preparing the food boxes for those who will stand in need tomorrow. We could be giving of our time making lap blankets for the many elderly who sit long hours in their wheelchairs or recliners. We might find ourselves in the backyard shop, cutting out small toys for the homeless children in our area. It doesn't matter 'what' we do - it is that we are investing in someone else's tomorrow. 

If we aren't assured of any tomorrows, why do we spend so much time focusing on what our tomorrows will look like? If we are honest, we have become a little 'myopic' (a fancy word for being a little too 'near-sighted'). We focus a whole bunch on our future, but not as much figuring out a way to make another's tomorrow even greater than our own. I have to wear glasses because my physical eyes are near-sighted, but I don't want my heart to become near-sighted, so I have to guard against that happening! There are no 'corrective lenses' for a myopic heart - but there is grace! God doesn't just put a temporary 'fix' in place to 'correct' our heart's near-sighted condition. He uses grace to transform it! Just sayin!

What are you doing with today?

The preparation of today makes us ready for tomorrow. Without the work of today, the events of today won't matter when tomorrow comes. When others look at our life, do they see evidence of our faith? Do they see us laboring in love, or resisting every move we make? Do they see us patient in our waiting, or chafing in anticipation, hating the wait and disgruntled by not getting our way? Many of us can claim to be believers, but do our lives indicate we live like believers? Three things that are just not arbitrary in our live are faith, the labors of love, and the patience we exhibit toward each other (and ourselves). In fact, these things speak volumes about the work which has begun in our lives - a work God is going to finish, no matter how hard it may appear to us!

Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you're in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. (I Thessalonians 1:2-3)

Can others see the evidence of our faith? Faith and actions work together - our actions makes our faith complete - not because we need to work FOR grace, but because grace works FOR us when we put into action the things grace is doing in our lives. In other words, we are expected to reveal Christ in our actions. There are going to be times when the actions God expects of us seem a little contrary to what we might think reasonable. In the Old Testament, we see a picture of Abraham taking his only son Isaac to the altar, placing him upon the altar, in preparation of offering the most important part of his life to God. Would God have let Abraham burn Isaac upon that altar that day? I don't think so, but God was likely showing Abraham something about himself he may not have realized he was capable of - the deep, intense love of God that is willing to give one's 'best' to him!

I don't believe for a moment God actually expected to see Isaac be burned alive on the altar! He wanted to see if Abraham loved God for the gifts, or because he was a good and gracious God! Sometimes our lives do very little to reveal our intense love and trust in God. They are shallow because we don't really learn to rely upon God for the evidence of faith his transforming power will produce when we allow it to fully consume us. As Abraham took the very first step toward the altar, son in hand, he was showing God just how much serving him mattered - it was all or nothing for him. He was "all in". I have to ask - do our actions reveal we are "all in" with God?What about our labor of love - do our lives reveal any? I wonder what our daily work would look like if we were actually laboring for Christ? What difference would it make if we taught those students as though it were for Christ and not for a pay check; drove those big rigs as ambassadors of Christ and not as long-distance drivers; or if we washed those dishes as evidence of our love for Christ's blessing of a family instead as a means to an end of our day?

How about our patience in waiting - do we chafe, or settle in to see what God will do? We often fall down here, don't we? Waiting is tough work. Exhibiting patience when we don't see the immediate evidence of what we are hoping for - even tougher! Yet, in the waiting, much is being accomplished. Just consider what it would be like if we received newborns in a pod instead of experiencing the long nine months of formation and transformation which occurs within the mother's womb. In the waiting, we move from a focus on self to a focus on another - that growing life within us. There is something accomplished in the waiting - but the difference is really made in what we do within the wait! Just some thoughts to ponder today. Evidence of faith - is it the first thing someone sees when they look at us? Labors of love - is the love of Christ foremost in our actions? Patience in waiting - today is the preparation for tomorrow - what are we doing with today? Just askin!

No guarantee here

Never brag about what you will do in the future; you have no idea what tomorrow will bring. (Proverbs 27:1 ERV)

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." (Melody Beattie) 

None of us is ever guaranteed a "tomorrow" - we all have today and can do the best with today as is possible. We allow all kinds of things keep us from enjoying our "today" - including the issues of our past or the constant focus on what it is we might accomplish tomorrow. I am no different, here, for there are times when I get so "future focused" so as to miss what is right in front of me. The sad truth is that there is absolutely no guarantee there will even be that "tomorrow" I spent so much time planning for! What a shame to miss out on so much because we are not able to see what is right in front of us!

For many, their lives were changed the day the towers came down in New York. Others would never be the same because of some school shooting, rampage in some mall, or being at a concert enjoying some time with friends. None of these people woke up one morning and expected their end, or their maiming. No soldier sent off to war expects to return with body parts missing from some explosive device cleverly put in his or her path. These are not things we "plan for" in life, but they come our way, often without any real purpose or warning. The best we can do is let go of the past, focus on today with all the effort we can dedicate to it, and be cognizant of the steps we should take to be as ready as possible for tomorrow.

Today is our challenge. Yesterday may have left us with a bit of guilt over what wasn't accomplished, or how some encounter didn't go as we planned. Today is where we can start afresh with whatever it is we need to take care of in order to be rid of guilt, restored in right relationship with God and each other, and to be living with intent (purpose). We must learn to be people who make "today" our focal point and then invest wisely in the opportunities that today may afford us. They could be opportunities for relationship - those that will be discovered, made right, or set aglow in a freshness that comes from just being together and focused on each other. They could be opportunities to learn something new, or remember something learned long ago, then pass that learning onto another.

Today is what we can make the best use of, isn't it? Tomorrow may involve a little planning, but to be hyper-focused on tomorrow while losing sight of today is to be a little too tunnel-visioned. Just sayin!

Yesterday

Each day is the scholar of yesterday. (Publilius Syrus) It is indeed a challenge to remain "current" on all that yesterday taught, isn't it? In fact, there are probably times we want to be a little the ostrich and bury our heads in the sand because the lessons are just too hard or we just don't want to be "bothered" any longer with whatever it is we have been learning. Teachers everywhere will tell us how difficult it becomes to teach kids as summer vacation approaches. Their attention is directed to the summer fun and less onto the lessons of the hour! If we really want to remain vibrant and growing, we need to continually being looking at the things we can learn from what we did yesterday. It doesn't mean we live in the past, but that we take inventory of what the day offered, how it is we can "use" what we took away from that day (the good and the bad), and how it is we can put all that into good use for our day today!

Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. (Proverbs 1:2-6 NLT)

The Proverbs were written to help us understand the insights of others who have already figured out a few things in this lifetime. There is something to be said about listening to wise counsel and then putting into practice the wisdom we glean from that counsel. It sure beats making the same mistakes over and over again because we really didn't know what to do with what we were given in our day! What God did for us in giving us the 66 books of our Bible is to record for us the things which help us take away the lessons of yesterday - the history that perhaps shouldn't repeat itself as well as that which is pretty doggone awesome! One thing is for sure - we all have "yesterday" experiences we definitely don't want to relive! We want to put them as far from us as possible, but if we stop for just a moment to consider what it is we take away from those experiences, we note things such as not responding the same way, avoiding that particular "trigger point" again, etc.

Yesterday has a value of its own - it gives us insight into how we may deal with today. When we "run through" our yesterday merits and demerits, we find it possible to maybe have a few less of those same demerits today, but also to capitalize on the merits whenever possible. If I totally botched a relationship opportunity yesterday, I may not be presented with exactly the same opportunity today, but I can allow how I handled it yesterday to affect how I will handle that relationship today. I might be making a path to someone to ask their forgiveness for my behavior, or even taking a moment to thank that other person for pointing out some things to me I had not considered, but which were definitely causing me some issues in my relationships. Even the "bad stuff" has a lesson in it. We may not want to ever examine it again to find that lesson, but the value of us doing so today, when we are less "in the thick of it", is that we often see clearer what was a little foggier just yesterday!

While God doesn't want us to dwell in the past, he does value us taking lesson from it - allowing it to influence how we will make new decisions today and what it is we will spend our resources focusing on now. Just sayin!

But now...

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote, "The past, the present, and the future are really one...they are today."  There are those who have a tendency to "blame" whatever it is they are experiencing today on a "crappy" past - things didn't go well for them "then", so they are certainly not going to change "now". What Beecher said bears some study, for it is true - the past affects our present and our present sets the stage for our future - in essence making today the most important day of all!

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:38 NLT)

There is indeed a great deal in our "past" that could affect our present - but it doesn't have to do so in a negative or damaging way because grace declares the past "done" or "over with". Yes, we can still have the consequences to deal with, such as when our past involved the use of illegal drugs and now we are experiencing the physical effects of having "done drugs". Our teeth may be rotting, but we don't have to focus on the "damage done" as much as the redemption accomplished through grace. Those consequences of our past are nothing compared to the redemptive and restorative power of grace!

It is quite possible some would report their "present" isn't all that great, leading them to suppose their future will also not be all that spectacular. They just cannot see any benefit in today's struggles or monumental issues. Their focus is on the difficulty and not the potential. Isn't it a shame to miss out on what today brings in the form of the "keeping power" of Christ and the lessons we learn when his power takes over in place of our own? As scripture declares, our "tomorrow" is not guaranteed (James 4:13-16). We can make all manner of plans for the future and totally miss what today holds in the form of strength, increased capacity, and growth.

Indeed, our "today" is made up of the many challenges of our yesterdays and the tremendous hope we have in our tomorrows. We just cannot dwell upon either of those exclusively - we garner from them what helps us in our today! There are some weeks when my schedule is so crammed packed with meetings and work which needs to be accomplished that I feel like I am lugging around a weight. Other weeks are a little easier sailing and I can really experience time to be creative - instilling new energy into some project. If I let the weight of those busy days carry over into the freedom of those other days, I'd never enjoy the creative energies!

It is quite possible we are called to focus on today as a place of developing trust - not in ourselves, but in the strength and power of Christ given to us with immeasurable amounts of grace that will actually help us get through today. Some of our greatest moments are those we actually are "present" in - we are "participators" in those moments. We aren't the ones "making" those moments by our own power, but we are actually deriving strength from them because we are living in those moments through the power of Christ in us. This actually requires his assistance to let go of the past - so we don't focus our energies on things we cannot change. It also requires his assistance to not get so caught up in the "what if" scenarios of our future that we totally miss the "but now" moments right in front of us. Just sayin!