Yesterday is gone

     For the Christian, there is only now.  Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but only today and then only this moment.  Living in the past or the future only prove we have no plans to serve God today as they only are memories or hopes.  Those memories and hopes are based on my regrets or my desires and not on the daily subsistence of God and his will.  If we concentrate on the yesterdays we are left with a life with no availability for today.  If we concentrate on tomorrow, we do the same thing.  Trusting that God is in charge means we forget about yesterday and don't dwell on tomorrow.  After all, there is nothing we can gain from what's past or what's ahead of us other than an excuse to not be available for today.  We know we have learned both positive and negative from our past.  We also know, if we are Christian, that our future in in heaven with Jesus.  In the in between time we are either available or not per our own choice.
     Paul talks about being "ready in season and out to offer the Gospel to those who are perishing."  Yet Paul talked with many using his past as an "in the moment" necessity to present the Gospel to those who are perishing.  Paul fully understood that the past was gone and he was a new creation in Christ.  He was also aware of the promises of prophecy in the Old Testament outlining the future and the end of time when Christ will return.  Giving his breath of knowledge Paul was able to live in the present and focus only on Christ and him risen.  When Paul was ministering to others he didn't bring himself to others in a way that put himself as anything other than a servant and slave to Jesus who had saved him!  Today, we have plans, we have schedules we check and we even plan out our lives as if we will never die.  We don't, as a result, see the urgency of the day.  Not knowing the future of our lives and others should be an invitation to share the Gospel NOW!
     Do we really see the urgent need of the present?  Do we focus on what God wants or are our lives filled with other stuff to the degree we cannot feed the hungry, care for the widow and orphan as well as bring the Gospel to all mankind?  That's the Great Commission.  I'm not making this up.  Being free in Christ means we are free to do His will in all our circumstances.  It means we focus on today and not yesterday or tomorrow.  I don't have any assurance that I will live out this day.  Neither do you.  I don't have the luxury of NOT telling others about Jesus because someone else will do it.  Neither do you.  The urgency of "today is the day of salvation" should be upon all of our hearts if we truly love Jesus.  What's important in your life?  Is it sports, TV, social standing, or a myriad of other distractions?  Remember, it's always your choice.