Live for Today

[Steve Myers] Have you got a plan for your life? An interesting survey was just recently done and it found that 48% of Americans would rather live for today than plan for tomorrow. Pretty amazing statistics when you look at it. In fact, they surveyed thousands of people around the world and the numbers weren't that different around in different countries. And so it is an amazing thing when you think that people are ready to live for today rather than think about what the future holds. And I think that's an important question we all have to come to in our lives. Are you ready for the future?

[Darris McNeely] That's an amazing statistic to realize that that many people don't give the thought that they shouldn't have in their life - their financial life, their personal life - to planning beyond today and understanding that, you know, without that anything can happen and success is not going to be guaranteed.

[Steve Myers] Yeah, I think the challenge for us is to think outside the box in many ways because we're surrounded by so many things that are in the now, things that are happening right this moment. I'm entertained right now. I'm so consumed with things that are happening at this moment that I forget to think about what's happening down the line. And in our spiritual life, that's something that we cannot leave behind. We've got to make sure we're thinking about tomorrow because God's got a plan.

[Darris McNeely] He does and that's why, Beyond Today, the name we have for our television program - these BT Dailies - actually helps us to begin to think that what we do today really does have consequences for tomorrow and our future life. But the decisions that we do make today are important to consider, to understand that we make those decisions based on righteousness, God's way of life, God's law because they have consequences and they have ramifications for our life beyond this particular time. So, it's really a matter of getting a balance of both - planning for tomorrow while living, enjoying, making the most of today.

[Steve Myers] The prophet Isaiah said some interesting in relationship to this idea. He talked about everyone who thirsts comes to the waters. Now you might say, "Well, what does that have to do with planning anything?" Well, he says in verse 2 of Isaiah 55, "Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy?" So if we're just in the now, if we're just living for today, if we're only buying bread to survive for the moment or enjoy life just for the moment without any care for tomorrow, Isaiah says wait a second, you better listen up. In fact, he says, "Listen carefully to me and eat what is good." And so he makes that very point. He says, "Hear and your souls shall live. Incline your ear and come to me" (Isaiah 55:2-3). You see if we don't have God in our life, we're missing the big picture. We're missing the plan. We're missing what comes tomorrow. And so we're living a life that really isn't valuable according to God.

[Darris McNeely] So put our minds on God's purpose and plan for us beyond today and understand that's going to help us live to the full today and make the most of every opportunity, every relationship, and every aspect of our life today because it will have eternal consequences.

[Steve Myers] That's BT Daily. We'll see you next time.