James 4:13-15 - Living in the Now, not Tomorrow

James 4:13-15 “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ”
On of the interesting things I have found is  that the Bible is written in the language of “today” and of “now.” The past tense is used only when telling of history and stories, but even then the current, present tense is used during speech and actions. (Of course, when the Bible was translated, for greater readability the tenses we are more accustomed to seeing were used.) None-the-less, the Bible was written for “now”.

In this same way we can look at everything as being “Now.”  “Now” is the time for revival. “Now” is the time for repentance. “Now” is the time for rejoicing. “Now” is the time for celebrating. “Now” is the time for weeping. “Now” is the time for reconciliation. “Now” is the time for worship. “Now” is the time for God.  Everything in the Bible is about today, not yesterday; it is about today, because tomorrow is not yet here.

You might say, “There is a time and place for everything” and you would be correct. “Now” is the time to not do something, but it is also the time to do something else.  The Bible is all about “Now”. When Jesus healed, it was because it was now time to heal that person. When He wept in the garden at Gethsemane, it was because it was now time for weeping. When He corrects, it is because it is now time to correct. Nothing was put off for another time when it might be more convenient or more acceptable. It was done when it was needed to be done, and still today He does things when they need to be done, not when it is convenient.

In our own lives, we often make this same mistake. We mistake the eternal “now” as license to put off for tomorrow what needs to be done today because “we don't feel up to it”  or  “it would be more convenient” or any other number of excuses. Tomorrow will never get here today. It won't.  If there is something that needs doing, or saying, or anything, then it must be done or said, or whatever now, because this moment, this place in time may never be here again. You do not know when you will have this opportunity again. Today, let us do what we need to do, not put it off. Today is here, tomorrow is not and the past is already gone. As I was once told by an older, wiser, sadder person. “You will always regret the things you did not do more than you will the things you did.”

This week, today, this moment in time then, let us take a look at our lives and see what we have been putting off instead of facing or addressing. Let us take care of things now, be it so hard as to apologize or express sorrow, or as easy as whistle or sing a joyfully tune and enjoy our day of rest. If there is something God has put on our hearts to do, let us do it now (or in the now in which He says to do it) instead of waiting and procrastinating. “Now” is our chance. “Now” is your chance. It is your moment to shine, and if you are always shining in this moment, then you will be living in the Eternal Now, centered in His will and able to constantly celebrate being in the very presence of The Most High.

Lord, for tomorrow and its needs I do not pray;
Keep me, my God, from stain of sin just for today.
Help me to labor earnestly and duly pray;
Let me be kind in word and deed, Father, today.

Let me no wrong or idle word unthinking say;
Set Thou a seal upon my lips through all today.
Let me in season, Lord, be grave, in season gay;
Let me be faithful to Thy grace, dear Lord, today.

And if, today, this life of mine should ebb away,
Give me Thy sacrament divine, Father, today.
So for tomorrow and its needs I do not pray;
Still keep me, guide me, love me, Lord, through each day.
                                                      ^{Sybil F. Partridge, 1877.}