Live for today …and tomorrow!

 

 

These are slogans most of us see or hear most days. At their best they encourage us to attempt good things we otherwise wouldn’t dare attempt. At their worst these slogans can encourage reckless spending and behaviour. Some of us really need encouraging to “go for it” with life. Others need calming down a bit!

As a Church of England Vicar I am often thinking about life and what makes it work best and how we can live it well. Recently I have spent much time with people who are dying and those that have lost loved ones. This has a profound impact on the way I see life. People with terminal illnesses often put great emphasis on making the most of each positive moment they can- we could all learn from this. The reality is that we all have terminal conditions. That is, we will all die one day- we just don’t know when.

Living one day at a time and living for today is good. However to truly live well, I would propose, that as well as living for today, we need to also live with one eye on  tomorrow . We need to do what is needed for today and enjoy all the good things for today but we also need  to plan and prepare for tomorrow. Some of the preparing for tomorrow involves saving and investing financially where possible. Some of the planning involves seeking to work out questions such as “what will I do when I am much older?” ” What should I be investing my energy and time into?”And a huge question which often gets sidelined and ignored is ” Do I feel I am ready to die should death come unexpectedly?”  If we can sort this final question we can truly live to today!

Jesus promised his disciples abundant life on this earth and after that he promised eternal life with him forever. I am not convinced that they understood or believed these promises until they actually saw him die and then saw him rise again from the dead. Once they had checked him out that he wasn’t some ghost like figure they truly trusted him and in his name they told the known world this offer of life that was freely given. They were no longer timid or afraid but were bold and courageous because they knew that even if they struck down by the authorities they were assured  the treasures of everlasting joy and peace with Jesus. Christians that I know that are sure about the answer to the question about death and the ones who seem to have the most life in them! They are living with a focus and a purpose, they are living with joy now and sure hope for the future. They are making a significant impact on the people around them because they have learned how to truly live!

May we be a people who make the most of everyday and may we be a people who deal with  the big questions about the future so that we can truly live now.