We spend so much time focusing on the past.
As people, we tend to either look back on our mistakes or to bask in past accomplishments. I guess it's fine to do so from time to time, since one often learns from mistakes and accomplishments are experiences to be remembered. But it is only fine as long as you don't wallow in the past thus incapacitating you for anything else...
From a Christian perspective, we can't settle in our old sinful selves. If our decision to follow our LORD was sincere, we cannot continue to live in that time when we didn't follow Him.
We spend so much time thinking about the future.
We're the same way with the future. Looking ahead too far and trying to systematically plan out everything in your life will only stress you out when things don't go as planned. Likewise, constantly predicting things like the end of the world (2 days, y'all) doesn't get you anywhere either...
On top of that, thinking too much about the future creates a lack of faith in our LORD. Of course, I would say that it's good to have a general direction to go in, and goals are good too. However, if you put so much into all of your own plans, you leave no room for His plan.
We spend so much time living in the "now"
Finally, we also tend to focus on the present day so very much. Of course, one should focus on what's going on presently, lest they be swallowed up into the past or future like the above cases. However, many people "live in the now," adopting phrases like "You Only Live Once" and "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," and like "It's five o'clock somewhere" and a "now or never." These people act on impulse, doing things they may regret, but doing it for the sake of the present.
We are told that our "now" should be spent on following Jesus and preparing for his return (throwing a little bit of future in there, but the "now" is preparing). We're not really called to pay so much attention to "living in the now."
What about the "Forever"?
So what about "Forever"? Do we spend enough time thinking about eternity? Do we spend enough time anticipating the complete and satisfying joy that awaits us with God?
Are we ready for "Forever"? Since people are bound by time, we cannot even begin to comprehend all that the word "Forever" entails. But, somehow, "Forever" covers the whole spectrum of the past, the future and the "now."
In the past, we were so bad--so dirty, so sinful-- that we could be nowhere near our Perfect God. But we cannot stay in this sinful past, for in the "now," we are cleaned up by Jesus Christ, our Perfect God's Perfect Son. Because we are clean, we can get close to God and feel His Love for us. And in being clean now, we can prepare for the future, when Jesus will come back so that we can not only be near God, but so that we can be with God! And once we are with God, we will be with Him FOREVER.
We spend so much time focusing on the past.
We spend so much time thinking about the future.
We spend so much time living in the "now"
What about the "Forever"?
