CHARGER NATION: GAME #10
Charger Nation,
I've already talked about this topic this year but I was convicted of some things this past Sunday now that seasons are ending and I can see how the boasting of tomorrow did not come to fruition for so many.This past summer I remember all kinds of hype being created by high school teams and college teams. Even this week I hear of more hype videos coming out for games that will be played this week. But from all the hype we have heard this summer the dust has settled and some came to fruition and some did not. This past Sunday a few verses came to my mind as to why we are foolish in boasting of tomorrow and I wanted to share them with you.
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a
town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’—yet you do not know
what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist
that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to
say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you
boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” (James
4:13-16)
We all struggle with pride and arrogance. They are sins that plague us
but sins God calls us to put to death. In our pride we want to boast of
what we will do tomorrow because it makes us feel good. It makes us feel
important and valuable. But it is a false reality. Anytime I find
myself boasting in tomorrow it is rooted in my pride. God’s word tell us
that we do not know what tomorrow may bring. We must work our tails off
today for a better tomorrow but we should not boast about tomorrow. Here
is why: because ultimately God is in control of our tomorrows! What pride
and arrogance it is when we boast of what we will do tomorrow when tomorrow
belongs in the hands of God. **I am not saying not to plan for
tomorrow...but do not boast about tomorrow!
Some people may argue and say that when they boast about
tomorrow they are creating expectations and dreams and that motivates
people. I understand this but it also creates false expectations.
It puts the future in our hands and this is pride. The world wants to
tell us that we are the masters of our fate but nothing could be further from
the truth. When my eyes become to forward thinking I start to lose track
of the importance and the value of this day—this gift of today that God has
given me. He hasn’t given me tomorrow, but he has given me today. I
must make the most of it: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let
us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)“Do not boast of tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” (Proverbs 27:1) One character trait that I strive to instill in these boys is the fostering of a desire in their hearts to wake up and work hard today. I know coaches are always trying to come up with gimmicks to motivate their players and those have their place, but what would be really nice is if our boys learned to just go to work each day without someone having to motivate them. All of you to whom I’m writing are grown and have to go to work everyday. You don’t have a coach following you around creating hype videos for you to do a good job at work. But you know you must do well today or your kid won’t eat. That’s what our boys need to learn. Get your tail up and go to work and get after it. You do this and your future will be ok. I don’t know how good it will be but it will be ok. So don’t talk about tomorrow because your talk today is stopping your productivity today! Focus 100 percent on today because you do not know what this day will bring!
“But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these
things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its
own trouble.” (Matthew 6:33-34)
How can we live a life free from boasting about tomorrow and humbly approaching
each day? Seek first the Kingdom of God. We get so wrapped up in
everything that is going on in the world and we quickly take our eyes of
Christ. When we take our eyes off Christ we start desiring everything the
world has to offer. Our pride and arrogance start to take over as we
neglect Christ. Christ tells us to seek him first and do not worry about
tomorrow cause he is in control. “All these things will be added to you”
means God is going to take care of the things we need and we worry about.
We don’t need to boast of tomorrow and create hype of tomorrow because God is
in control of tomorrow. He is sovereign—we are not! But there in vs
34 He does tell us to work today: “sufficient for the day is its own
trouble.” Be your best today!
When I allow my eyes and heart to gaze into tomorrow I open up my life to
sin. When I lust after the desires and hopes and dreams of tomorrow I let
my guard down into the battle that must be fought today. Let us strive to
enjoy this day and all that God has to offer us in it. You just have to
believe that if you can Win the Day everyday that your tomorrows will be just
fine. May we always keep Jesus Christ as our sole focus as to why we
exist each day! May we have confidence that He will take care of our
tomorrows and give us exactly what we need!
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