The book of James reads a lot like a New Testament book of Proverbs. In the first chapter, we’re instructed to ask God for wisdom. After all, God gives it generously. You could say wisdom is the ultimate pursuit of life, according to Proverbs. According to James, godly wisdom is an ongoing building up of pureness and peace.
So, what’s our wisdom for today. How about today?
I mean just today.
There is great wisdom in letting each day be enough. Each today is worth living to the fullest and worth every bit of the pursuit of joy.
When we were in high school, people told us to look forward. They asked questions like, What do you want to be doing in five years? Our bosses ask us the same kinds of questions today. Our church leaders think ahead to where God might be moving us in the future.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with looking ahead. Planning for the future has its merits. It’s wise to pay attention to what’s happening and make plans and preparations.
But not to the detriment of today. We can get so far ahead that today blurs by. What a tragedy of life. That we lose so many of our todays worrying, planning and wanting more.
I’ve shared a bit of wisdom with my youth groups that a teacher once shared with me when I was younger. He said, “Don’t complain about Mondays. Some people didn’t get one.”
Some people won’t get a Tuesday either.
The point is, each day has its own beauty and joy. It’s almost cliche to admit we “never know when it’s our time,” but we don’t always live like it. If we did, today would mean a lot more to us.
James reminds us we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Tomorrow can be the best or worst day of your life. Chances are, though, it’ll be another average day.
That’s not bad, is it?
If you’re reading or listening to this, you got a Monday. How does that feel? It should be great because tomorrow isn’t here yet. Today is what you have before you. I had another teacher who would listen to his students say things like, “I wish it was already Friday.” He encouraged us to change how we saw things because we were wishing away our days.
In a way, I suppose I want to encourage you to change the way you think about today, if today doesn’t seem to mean all that much to you.
Today will always be a gift.
Today will be all you have to work with. Sure, at some point, you’ll need to plan for a tomorrow. The blessing, though, is today. So, make the most of it. Be as much a blessing as you can be today. Learn something new today. Whatever you do, thank God it’s today.
Stay blessed…john
