I was reminded of a sermon that my roommate was working on for one of his preaching classes about this very thing. In his preparation for the sermon, he ended up realizing the value God places on being present and content with where He places us every day. As he and I discussed this topic, I was very inspired to try to make some changes in my own lifestyle in order to better fulfill what God requests in many places throughout the Bible. Here are some key takeaways that I have come away with:
- Don’t dwell on the future or the past. As I described earlier, culture today puts a ton of value on what we have done or what we are doing next. When we get sucked into this mentality, we are never able to take the time to enjoy or completely invest in what we’re currently doing. While the future and the past both hold a significant place in our lives, they can’t become more important than where God currently has us. (See James 4:13-15 and Matthew 6:34 if you’re interested)
- Don’t become distracted by technology. Technology has the same threat of distracting us from where God has placed us. It is extremely important that being socially connected through technology is not equated with being present. Isn’t it amazing how quick we are to pull out our phones to document something instead of simply enjoying what’s happening in our lives and taking in our surroundings? Obviously we can’t rid ourselves of technology nowadays but we certainly can try to be more intentional about when we use it.
- Focus on people. Don’t let your to-do list become more important than those around you. Everyone in your life has been put there for a reason. Meaningful relationships are a vital piece of the Christian calling and are totally worth the effort. This looks different for each person but the point I would like to communicate is that people are important. Therefore, your value for people should be reflected in your daily encounters.
- Focus on experiences. Every day is a day with new experiences waiting. Live each day expectantly, knowing that life is worth living. Try to take in every moment to its fullest. When we have an experiential focus, we combat the tendency to look to the future and the past because we are focused on experiencing the here and now, rather than on what we’ll do next. This is exactly what God asks of us.
- Be content. This is a major theme throughout Scripture. Honestly, this is one of the most important aspects of being present. Life doesn’t always go the way that we expect it to. However, by learning to be content in all circumstances (see Philippians 4 11-13) through Christ, we can face anything and learn to see the value in everything that comes our way. God has called each person to lead their life in a certain direction. Once we learn to be content with that direction, we are able to be present along that journey.
All this is a process to say the least. It is not something that can be changed overnight. It is worth it, though. We add so much stress to our lives every day when we don’t make the effort to be present in the situations that we are placed in.
Will you join me on this journey to be more present?
These are my thoughts, I'd love to hear yours! Please comment below with any thoughts, feedback, or questions!