God's Perspective

"Before the mountains were born,

before you gave birth to the earth and the world,

from the beginning to end,

you are God."

Psalm 90:2 NLT

Moses prayed to the God who always has been and always will be.  He pointed out that time loses its impact in the face of such eternity.  He also noticed that in the scheme of things, the life of man is fleeting, as a passing thought to God, like the life cycle of a blade of grass which is here today, gone tomorrow.  Moses also understood that the sin I try so hard to hide is perfectly apparent to God.  

What do these truths mean for me and the way I live my life?

Stress.  I see the second hand ticking by and compare what's left of the day to my list of things-to-do.  I ponder the time wasted in waiting and feel my blood-pressure rise.  Anxiety is forming like a tight ball in the pit of my stomach as I think of what little time I have left.

If God is not concerned with the matter of time-how long something takes or how long I must wait-why should I?  To Him who is perfectly in control at every moment of time, no matter how out-of-control I feel or how crazy life gets, it doesn't matter how much time passes by.  His plan is firmly in place.  With such a God as this at the helm of the ship of my life, I can keep my eyes trained on His masterful leadership and my thoughts focused on His amazing management of all things.

God is not concerned with the passing of time, so, as His child, the stress I experience in a clock-oriented world is none of my concern.

Cherish.  "Why do today what I can put off until tomorrow?"  I chuckle to myself as I repeat the mantra of the procrastinator.  I've come to realize that instead of assuming there will be another day, tomorrow is never promised and every moment is a gift that is meant to be cherished.  If God gave it to me, then there is good to be found in each passing tick of the clock.  

With the recent passing of two stalwart women of God who meant much to me and were still in the prime of their lives, I've come face-to-face with the reality that life here on earth is not as long as I think it is.  Add to this sobering awareness the fact that my father is on the slow decline of dementia, sometimes called "the long goodbye," and you can see that I am even more in touch with the precious nature of every minute I've been given.

Therefore, I am learning to be more intentional with how I spend my gift of time.  It is important that I live in the moment, being all there instead of always racing ahead to what is to come, what's next on the list, or how I'm going to handle this afternoon's challenges.  I'm growing in my faith as I take each minute as a gift meant to be treasured, putting into practice Jim Elliot's advice; "Wherever you are, be all there!"  

God has given me this moment in time with the hope that I would cherish it as the gift it is.

Authentic.  I ignore the enormous problem, the way I cope with life apart from God, all the hurts I wear like a comfortable sweater.  I pretend everything is okay even though the tears are always there, just under the surface.  I feel fragile as I attempt to negotiate my days, refusing Jesus' offer to take my burdens and nail them to the cross where they will lose their power.  Instead of letting Jesus make me whole, I try to fix myself in the only way I know how.

While I may fool others into thinking I'm A-okay, God knows my problems.  He sees the sin I try to cloak in busyness, selfless service and surface conversations.  If only I would know how secure I am in His hands, close to His breast as His well-loved child, I would cease trying to muddle through alone.  If I could grasp how vast is His love, I would run to Him with open arms, allowing Him access to every deep and shameful part of me.  He already knows and loves me deeply.  He just wants me to willingly admit to my need for Him and my utter failure at living life my way.

Since God knows my sin, seeing everything I try to hide yet loving me wholly, I can trust Him with my deepest secret failings.

From God's perspective, things look different.  Since He is eternal and time means nothing, life is fleeting, and my sin is not as hidden as I think it is, I can begin to live my life differently than I always have.  I can cope with stress in the shadow of the Almighty where it loses it's power, cherish every moment as a gift, and live openly and authentically before Him.  From God's viewpoint, way up high, my issues and problems don't look quite as big.  To Him, all things are under control.  

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can cherish each moment, being all there.

How do I pretend before a God who calls my bluff every time?

When do I let the stresses of life dictate my mood, forgetting that God is never worried?