Enjoying Everyday Living

When we’re worried about the future or anxious because of the past, we don’t enjoy the present. It’s so easy to remember our past mistakes or offenses we’ve experienced, but when we focus of them, we can’t enjoy everyday living.

We need to move outside of our thoughts and evaluate how peaceful they are. Sometimes we stay stuck in the past. Our thoughts reveal if this is happening. We live in the past when we're consumed with thought such as “Why didn’t I__________?” “How could they have done that?” “Why was I so stupid?” “How could I have done that?”Of course, we need to learn from our past mistakes and avoid dangerous people, but if we continually rehearse past failures, we cannot enjoy present happiness. If we use all of our energy to berate ourselves and others for bad behavior, we are too tired to live peacefully in the now.

We can turn away from bad choices and turn towards good ones without condemning ourselves as worthless human beings. When we catch ourselves remembering past problems, we can choose to focus on present blessings and defeat the enemy. Gratitude and guilt cannot dwell in the human heart at the same time.

It’s great to plan for the future, to have a rainy day fund, to set goals, and to pray for ourselves and our loved. However, when we fear the future, we cannot enjoy present happiness. Doomsday thinking is destructive. When we worry about future calamities, trials, or problems, we can’t live joyfully today.

Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

""And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself."

So today, celebrate the beauties of everyday living. Savor the beauty of flowers, clouds, birds, children, the elderly, and yourself. Remember, you are a priceless child of God. He loves you more than you can imagine. Experience His love so that you can more fully enjoy the journey.
© Carol Brown