Don't Live in the Future
Live in the Present Moment
When I look into the future, I am frightened, But why plunge into the future? Only the present moment is precious to me, As the future may never enter my soul at all.
It is no longer in my power, To change, correct or add to the past; For neither sages nor prophets could do that. And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God.
O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire, I desire to use you as best I can. And although I am weak and small, You grant me the grace of Your omnipotence.
And so, trusting in Your mercy, I walk through life like a little child, Offering You each day this heart Burning with love for Your greater glory.
He lives in the real present
The devil wants us to live in the future by always thinking about it - because God is not in the imaginary future, He lives in the real present. I found myself with this problem at Mass today. I wanted to be present to God - and then spent the whole Mass thinking of what and how to accomplish things this week. That’s the devil’s strategy – keep us living in the future so that we never experience God in the present. CS Lewis writes:
Humans live in time, but God destines them to eternity. He therefore, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which we call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which God has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them. He would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present—either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself, or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure. The devil’s business is to keep us away from the present by making us focus on the future… In a word, the Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. The Screwtape Letters (pp. 75-77).
God wants us to continually fix our gaze on four things
1. His presence and our friendship with him;
2. Thinking and doing the will of God in this present moment as it comes to us through the voice of conscience,
3. bearing the present cross,
4. And receiving the present grace while giving thanks for the present pleasure.
God wants us to focus on Him as a Person, a person who is present to us right now, and a person we can interact with at every moment.
Jesus said to St. Catherine of Siena, “Catherine, think of me; if you do I will immediately think of you.” What does he mean by this? Isn’t he always thinking of us? Of course, but when we focus on Him in the present, HE will take care of our future concerns.
God wants us to do the good we’re supposed to do now. So, think – what does God want me to be doing right now - then do that and stay focused it. Lose yourself in the thing you are doing right now. If you’re working, or with your family, or reading a wonderful book – lose yourself in that and delight in it. You may have to look ahead to know what must be done at this moment – but only for as long as it takes you to determine that, then turn your attention back to the present and experience and hold yourself there. Do what you are supposed to do at this moment and lose yourself in it and delight in it.
Take up our cross daily
God wants us to take up our cross daily, but take up the cross of today, not the cross of the future. You will receive the grace and strength you need to carry the cross of today but not the strength to bear of all future crosses now. We can allow ourselves to be crushed by the weight of future imaginary crosses which weigh us down with so much anxiety and sadness – which make us unable to carry the cross of today. So why add the extra weight. You can bear the cross of this moment. I know you can. You just did. There, you just did it again. Plus, I know Jesus is bearing the present cross with you and will not abandon you. But he is not in the future crosses because God does not live in the future.
Present grace
God wants us to receive the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure. At every moment there is a good that God is giving us: His presence, our life, the meal we are eating, the drink we’re enjoying, the walk we are taking, the work we are doing, the music we are hearing – be aware of the good that is flowing in and be constantly thankful. Live in Gratitude for the present good that is flowing in.