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SHOW NOTES
Welcome to a new week of the Hope Rescue Podcast. If this is your first time here or you accidentally stumbled on our page, it’s not an accident! Maybe God is calling you to be here in this moment right now because this is a message for you. This week we are talking about what prevents us from living in the moment and how we can embrace each day. Keep reading or listening to find out!
Matthew 6:25-27 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more thAan clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Living in the moment happens when we learn to stop looking at the past with regret and stop looking at the future with fear. The best way to destroy your joy is to chase something outside of the present moment. Matthew also says in verse 34, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” We should pursue a life of meaning and purpose and not a life seeking for more and worrying about the future. Living in the moment is one of the most simple and hardest things to do because it requires us to be mindful of our thoughts and our posture continually. It requires us to live more intentionally.
Can we pursue purpose and a material gain at the same time? Is it possible to balance ambition and a life of purpose simultaneously? Absolutely! Tim suggests setting long term goals and then asking yourself "What can I do TODAY that will move me closer to achieving my goal?" Live in this day. Live in this moment and be satisfied with the accomplishments of this day.
So what makes us lose the present moment? What pulls us out of the present and makes us anxious about the future or regretful about the past?
1. When we chase a contrived moment. Life isn't perfect and usually doesn't play out flawlessly like in the movies. To live in the moment, we have to be flexible and allow for problems to arise. Tim says, “When we learn to enjoy the process of life, it's easier to see the value in small, mundane moments.”
2. When we compare a moment to our past or someone else's life. Sometimes we ruin present moments because we get caught up in a memory of a more perfect time, maybe from our childhood or from someone else's life. Don't compare the present moment to anything else, because each moment is unique and cannot be replicated. That is the beauty of living in the moment. Kimberly says, “Step into the current moment and appreciate it for what it is.”
3. When we idealize or romanticize a moment. For example, some parents put a lot of emphasis on having the perfect Christmas. We do so much planning and preparation in order to have an ideal day, but we set ourselves up for failure because life is not perfect. Christmas may turn into children fighting or a sick spouse so don’t seek out perfect moments; enjoy the moments as they come.
4. When we overanalyze moments. Analysis can often breed paralysis which prevents us from enjoying the current moment. When we overanalyze a moment, we are bound to find something wrong and ruin the joy of the present. When we avoid being overly analytical, it frees us to embrace the current moment.
5. When we resist the moment. Sometimes we feel like we don’t deserve the goodness of a moment, so we resist it. We may feel like we are not worthy to enjoy what is happening in our lives, so we hinder ourselves from pausing and just embracing the moment. Take each moment for what it is, and thank God for each blessing in your life.
So with all this in mind, how can we live in the moment?
Take yourself less seriously. Taking yourself too seriously can cause you to react in a negative way when things don't go according to plan.
Savor the process of each day. Slow down and taste, smell, and feel each moment. Enjoy and savor the good because these moments are fleeting and cannot be recreated. We can never go back in time and enjoy a past moment, but we can choose to be present and embrace today.
Flow with it. No matter what comes up in your life, flow with it. Take it one step at a time and don’t worry about what could happen in the future.
Don’t compare your life to other’s lives. Don’t feel like you need to be what someone else is or have what someone else has. If someone else shares a perfect moment they experienced, be happy for them, not envious. Embrace your life, your family, your moments.
Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” According to God's purpose, all things work together for good. Even in the less than ideal moments, all things work together for good. Ask yourself today, what is keeping you out of the present moment? Is it past regrets? Is it anxiety about the future? Write it down and pray through it. Give your worries and cares to God, and thank Him for how He will walk with you through difficult times. Isaiah 40:31 says, "but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Tell yourself, "today is enough." Live in this moment for God’s glory.
We will see you next week! We love you guys!
QUOTES
“The best way to destroy your joy is to chase something outside of the present moment.” -Tim
“When we learn to enjoy the process of life, it's easier to see the value in small, mundane moments.” -Tim
“Step into the current moment and appreciate it for what it is.” -Kimberly
“We can never go back in time and enjoy a past moment, but we can choose to be present and embrace today.” -Kimberly
REFERENCED SCRIPTURE
Matthew 6:25-27: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”
Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Isaiah 40:31 says, "but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
