Now Faith Is

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…Hebrews 11:1

Our God is a God of the present. He doesn’t operate in the past, nor does He operate in the future. Everything with God is now. He is the great I AM (Exodus 3:14). NOW faith is….

What Made Michael So Different?

Last night we finished up the 10 part epic documentary, The Last Dance. It’s the journey of Michael Jordan and the six-time champion Chicago Bulls. Riveting is the only word I can say about this series.

[pullquote]You cannot be in the presence of God in the past. Nor can you be in the presence of God in the future. You can only be in the presence of God in the present.[/pullquote]

There were so many spiritual parallels that flooded my mind as I watched this series. One that stood out in my mind from last night’s finale was shared by Mr. Mark Vancil, author of the book Rare Air.

During an interview with Mr. Vancil, he said that most people spend their lives trying to be “present”. Most people are on a never-ending quest to get right here, right now. Most people live in fear because we project the past into the future.

But what made Michael Jordan different is that he lived continuously in the present. His gift wasn’t that he could run fast, jump high, or shoot a basketball. His gift was that he was completely present. That separated him from his competition.

Mr. Vancil went on to say that the downfall of a lot of players is that they think about failure. Michael Jordan didn’t allow what he couldn’t control to get inside his head. Michael’s way of thinking was, “Why would I think about missing a shot I haven’t taken yet”.

Now Faith Is…

As I watched last night I couldn’t help thinking about scriptures like Philippians 3:13 and Matthew 6:25-33. I thought about how time-oriented we are and how present God is.

There were times when I focused on all the bills I had that weren’t even due yet. I thought about sicknesses or diseases I was worried about catching that I did not yet have.

I thought about those around me who accepted the roles of professional worriers, including my dear mother. And I watched those who didn’t know how to remain in the “presence” of God to allow their cares and concerns to drive them to early graves.

You cannot be in the presence of God in the past. Nor can you be in the presence of God in the future. You can only be in the presence of God in the present.

I encourage you today to begin to practice remaining in the present. Take on the mantra “NOW faith is”. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. The past is done. The future isn’t here yet. And although we think we can have an impact on our future, trying to plan for your future is like shooting at a moving target.

Just ask the millions of people who spent their lifetimes saving for retirement only to have their retirement funds go belly up. Or the widower who suddenly lost his spouse to a drunk driver, or the __________ (you fill in the blank). There are tons of scenarios that have taken millions down roads they had no intention of going down.

Bring Every Thought Captive

How many of us parents have stared at our newborn sons and daughters through hospital nursery windows with joy in our hearts. And while standing there at the window, we worried about drugs, alcohol, college tuition, and gangs affecting their lives. AND THE BABE WAS LESS THAN 30 MINUTES OLD!

Now I’m not saying that we shouldn’t strive toward a fruitful future for ourselves or our families. What I’m saying is that we shouldn’t become so consumed with our future that we neglect our present.

Maybe concentrating our focus on the present will allow us to hear that still small voice that urges us to take a left instead of a right, thereby avoiding that drunk driver.

What if focusing on the present leads us to move our retirement fund from one firm to another just before our trusted investment firm goes belly up.

Maybe listening in the present will cause us to hear from the Holy Spirit about an invention that can pay for a Harvard education for our newborn.

Concentrate on living in the now. There is peace in the now. Joy in the now. There may be fear and trepidation waiting in the future, but don’t allow your future to disrupt the peace of your now.

By doing so, you’ll look up one day and find that the fear and trepidation that you thought was waiting around the corner is now behind you. And the peace of the NOW escorted you through it unscathed.