Friday Fight 84 - The Tension of Tenses
Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help me fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF84.
How often do we look at a time that brought us great joy in our lives? Personally, I love thinking about when my children were little. As we approach this season of Thanksgiving, our thoughts can travel to memories that bring joy to our hearts. Perhaps marriage or the birth of a child. But what if this season brings painful memories, and our focus turns to different places?
The Tension of Tenses:
As most of you know, I am a pastor and a fourth-grade teacher. As a teacher, I spend hours teaching grammar. This lesson parallels teaching a verb's past, present, and future tenses. In the classroom, grammar lessons are a fundamental concept of the verb form taken to help us understand the time frame of an experience, thought, or feeling that occurred. While teaching, I felt God placing this lesson on my heart.
As Thanksgiving approached, I anticipated with excitement having my immediate family together for more than a long day. Having adult children with busy schedules and greater travel distances means our time together is infrequent but precious. As Thanksgiving Day approached, I understood what God was revealing to me. In my eagerness, I realized I was merely going through the motions of each day in hopes of passing the time quickly. It doesn't work. My attention remained on the tremendous joy of being together as a family and the cohesive memories it brings. As I stood in my classroom, I graciously received this gentle correction and reminder of my focus and how it could impact my mind.
It's incredible to reflect on all God has done in our lives and the joy He brings us through various seasons. But this reflection can become contaminated when we only use past joy to fill our present hearts. If we exclusively feel joy from looking back at our past, we rob ourselves of finding joy in the present. Or if you are like me, rather than looking back at situations, friendships, or experiences that brought joy, you find yourself more excited about what is coming. I was waiting for something in the future to bring me joy. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate each day but having an attitude that focuses on the past or future significantly changes the present. I am appreciative and want to be thankful for each day God has given me. Joy and thankfulness enable spiritual growth in the present and are imperative for our hearts, minds, and spiritual health.
God's mercies are new every morning, so remaining in the past or focusing on the future is not of God. Instead, the enemy of our souls wants us to focus on different tenses and experience the tension that brings. As a result, our joy is continuously stolen. Therefore, if not aware, we can become accustomed to either reflecting on the past, only finding joy there, or anticipating the future to bring joy and Thanksgiving.
Regardless of our situation or uncertainty this season brings, let's remain focused on the present and what God is currently doing. Let's focus on God's blessings and experience the joy and thankfulness that only comes from a relationship with Him. Imagine how our lives would look if we concentrated on today, every day. The truth is joy is in the journey, not the destination. Where is our joy being found today?
Photo Credit: Charlie and Abby
Pastor Shannon
New Life Calvert