Chasing Ghosts of the Past and Future

Last updated on: June 1, 2018 at 12:04 pm by Paul Bane

Chasing Ghosts of the Past and Future 2018-06-01T12:04:16-06:00 Paul Bane

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When I focus on the future hoping it will bring me satisfaction and meaning, I might as well be chasing ghosts. The future is an illusion that resides only in the fantasy of my mind. I will never experience the excitement of being alive by focusing and longing for the future.

The present moment is the “Eternal Now” of God, and my greatest need is to live mindful of that spiritual truth. I am wired however to reject that truth and worry about what will happen to me over and over again in my thoughts. Peace now quiets my mind when I release my fearful thoughts back to the Heavenly Father, who has promised His presence with me every moment of life.

Today I purposely plan to enjoy being alive in every moment by practicing the presence of God. The “Eternal Now” is the center of my life and I consciously savor every second of life. I live in the now by experiencing breathtaking sunsets and the beauty of creation every day instead of thinking I will enjoy them some day when I take a vacation. I live in the moment when I pay full attention to the details of what I am experiencing right now.

You and I share the same moment we are living in right now. I experience it like no one else does. You and I are the only one who determines what it feels like to be alive. As you drive home today, look for something new something you’ve never seen before on your drive. Practice the wonderment of the now and what is happening at this moment. Stop, take a deep breath and realize you are also present with God.

Each moment is a moment of opportunity for renewal with God. When I encounter God with the deep awareness of His presence, I am mindful of my love for everyone and my connection to everything in creation. I have learned when I take care of the present moment my past and future will take care of themselves. The present moment is experiencing the fullness of life without any need to fill the emptiness of my life with thoughts of the past or future. The present moment has never happened before and will never happen again. God is the God of the now not the past or future.

Stop chasing the ghosts of the past and future and live fully in the now.

Be Still and Know I am God. Psalm 46:10

Contemplation