Do you know living in the most important moment makes us insane? Did you know that everything in world history has been converging on a little point known as right now? Today is the most important moment in world history. Everything hangs in the balance. If we fail, the world will be ripped to shreds, not unlike a pillow factory attacked by an army of rabbits. This is the chosen generation. We’re part of a great turning point, a time of transition. We are responsible for the great reformation of today. The moral fabric of society will unravel if we fail.
Floods and famine will destroy the earth. Life as we know it will cease to be (as in, we won’t be able to go shopping on the weekends and watch TV for thirty hours each week). And then again, maybe not. The clichés, alarmist rants, and calls to action shared above are common statements we run into on a daily basis. I’ve heard them from people coming from a variety of perspectives. They may advocate different views and priorities, but they all share a common belief that “now” is the most important time.
Maybe there are some urgent needs that we face today, but we don’t know when God is returning to set things right and we lack the insight to judge whether today is truly the most urgent or important point in world history. Most of the above statements are some kind of rhetoric aimed at stirring up the masses to take action. The sources of these statements are not necessarily the most detached, unbiased observers. That prompts me to ask a tough but important question…
Is Now the Most Important Moment? We just don’t know what to make of today. That is not for us to decide. Perhaps there are urgent things to do, but I do know that the book of Ecclesiastes has an important message for us: all is vanity. When we say that the present moment is the most important, we betray a belief that we have an inflated view of ourselves that is out of balance with the rest of the world, let alone the rest of history.
It’s perfectly natural for us to adopt a vain view of ourselves—most songs really aren’t about us. Besides making us look a bit silly, obsessions with the importance of today can also lead to some unhealthy consequences. The Consequences of Living in the Most Important Moment. When we live in the moment, we lose the long term vision of God for our lives and for our world. Disciplines such as silence, fasting, study, and service to others lose their place since we have bigger game to pursue.
The cultivation of slow and steady growth for the future is sacrificed for the urgent cause of today. We become manic short term investors dropping all of our resources into one short term, sure bet after another. We lose sight of the vanity of today, losing opportunities to enjoy today. If today is the most important turning point in history, then eating dinner with our wives, goofing off with our kids, reading a good book, or cultivating a bit of land becomes an unimportant distraction. Remember, we’re out to change the world, save civilization, or win the world for God. Who has time to enjoy life? When we live in the moment, we take risks and treat everything as urgent.
At a recent talk, Ann Voskamp declared that life is not an emergency. Those words cut me to pieces. I’d been living in the moment, checking my e-mail and social media constantly. I know others have to keep their phones with them at all times, texting even while driving. I used to drive as fast as possible from one point to another, freaking out if I hit a traffic jam—as if the world was about to end if I I spent a few extra minutes in traffic.
My Daily Put Down: Stuart Smalley may have had a daily affirmation that we joke about, but in reality, I actually need a daily put down instead. I have a secret message I wrote to myself at the front of my journal. I rewrite it in every journal as a reminder that my drive to write can be a curse sometimes. I want to face my imperfections every day. As much as I struggle with insecurities and fear of failure, more often than not, I need to remember that I am a vain, flawed person. If I can see myself for who I am—a person who would otherwise be obsessed with my importance in the moment—I’m able to seek out God’s best for my life.
When God builds us up, we can adopt a healthier rhythm and prioritize our lives realistically. Affirming ourselves as some kind of indispensible lynch pin in the grand scheme of history just turns us into insanely manic people who rush everywhere trying to do too many things for the wrong reasons. Broken people who have been restored by God see today with the clarity God’s Spirit provides. Vain people who can confess their flaws to God are able to bring God’s healing to a broken world, see the presence of Jesus in a hurting person on the street, and find the applause of thousands in a quiet moment before a solitary God.
In these past few days l talk about dying and actually decided to die. Why? It was not fantasy. It was more than relapsed health condition or financial challenge. It was something that l consider dying far more better to living as Apostle Paul taught in Philippians chapter 1:21, “To live is Christ, to die is gain”. Everybody has challenges. Some have grown to handle their challenges better than the other. Apart from imperfections that make us unique people and different from one another.
There something else in us that we hid our true self from other. But how long in light of eternity, if we believe hell and heaven are real. And knowing the consequences of living in sin perpetually. I can continue to pretend but l cannot continue long pretending before God. If l am going to be accountable to God how l live my it is obvious l must do something about it less l lost my place in eternity with God. I reason if l cannot handle it, l better let God handle it and settle it once and for all? Beloved have you ever come to situation like that you feel you have failed God, failed your family and lost relevance to your world. You think you have wasted years you cannot sincerely stand before God to give account.
Do you feel empty inspite of your status, achievements and efforts to be a better person in life? Then you are a candidate and about experiencing a turn around from the captivity of limitation. Like l did your journey into laughing, joyous life of bliss and celebration has just started. Congratulations! (See Ps. 126 and Jer. 30:17-20). The time to stop playing Church and being religious is past. You need something of God that can sustain your faith, keep you living victorious and life of positive impact in the society.
We all at some point have moments of insanity, when we take wrong steps to do our own thing and let God out of our lives. We waste great opportunities, resources, talents and gifting. We blame others for what we are going through instead of taking responsibility.
I have been there also but like the prodigal son story we can come to our senses, realize the futility of living without God’s control and repent, come back to God. That is the turning point. Luke 15:11-32, says it all.
“11. Jesus told them yet another story: Once a man had two sons.
12. The younger son said to his father, “Give me my share of the property.” So the father divided his property between his two sons.
13. Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a foreign country, where he wasted all his money in wild living.
14. He had spent everything, when a bad famine spread through that whole land. Soon he had nothing to eat.
15. He went to work for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take care of his pigs.
16. He would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him a thing.
17. Finally, he came to his senses and said, “My father’s workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death!
18. I will go to my father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you.
19. I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.’ ”
20. The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him.
21. The son said, “Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son.”
22. But his father said to the servants, “Hurry and bring the best clothes and put them on him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.
23.Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate.
24. This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found.” And they began to celebrate.
25. The older son had been out in the field. But when he came near the house, he heard the music and dancing.
26. So he called one of the servants over and asked, “What’s going on here?”
27. The servant answered, “Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father ordered us to kill the best calf.”
28. The older brother got so angry that he would not even go into the house. His father came out and begged him to go in.
29. But he said to his father, “For years I have worked for you like a slave and have always obeyed you. But you have never even given me a little goat, so that I could give a dinner for my friends.
30. This other son of yours wasted your money on prostitutes. And now that he has come home, you ordered the best calf to be killed for a feast.”
31. His father replied, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
32. But we should be glad and celebrate! Your brother was dead, but he is now alive. He was lost and has now been found.”(CEV).
Realizing you can’t help or save yourself. Realizing only Jesus Christ paid the price and can really help and save. Coming back to God with commitment to live for Him and letting Him live through you. Result in restoration to a life of dignity and royalty. No longer living beggarly life depending on other people. But wholly living for Christ satisfies and brings fulfillment. That settles it my friend. God did for me far more than friends and other people could do for me these few days of struggles(Gal. 2:20, Acts 4:12, Jn. 14:6, Isa. 50”7-9). Your Christian profession has become mockery and you have become powerless that you cannot stop sinning, that is moment of insanity that you need to upgrade in your life, business, and career, academics, marriage and what have you towards God.
Repent and be converted now that your sins be blotted out and you will be glad you did. How? Invite Jesus Christ into your life now (Acts 3:19, Mt. 18:3, Jn. 1:11-13) As it was when the Prodigal son came to his senses took steps to go back to his father and was not only welcome but was also elevated to being a son with royalty and dignity so your life will be honoured with dignity and royalty void of lack, and all that undermine your dignity and royalty before. Congratulation! Welcome to God’s family. You are blessed for life.
Written By Dr. Lewis Akpogena
akpogena@yahoo.com
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