Test yourself: Do spend more time thinking about the past, the present, or in the future? Think about it. In your conversations with people or in your daydreams, which takes up most of what you like to talk about or think about?

It’s not just the elderly who constantly think of the days gone by, nor is it just the youth who live in the present, as if time stands still. Some people only work so hard that one day, they can retire, kick back, and take it easy in on some tropical beach. (Unfortunately, some push themselves so hard, by the time they retire, they have more health issues that prevents them traveling except to doctor appointments.)

I’ve learned wisdom from the Bible about how we should live our days, in respect to the best help for us to enjoy the past, present, and the future. Let’s go back and consider the time Jesus had lived to be our example, died, and rose back to life. After some time, he told his followers, his disciples, that he was going back to God but would send a Comforter, a Helper, called the Holy Spirit. They had no idea how it would affect them in their future.

Last week, I discussed what happened on the Day of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples like a mighty wind. They weren’t expecting how they would be affected, but they began preaching to a gathering of many nations and tongues. Yet, the disciples spoke only in their own language while each nation heard the same thing but in their own language. That miracle was only the first of many to come of others. Read the New Testament to learn of the other miracles.

Understanding all these events should encourage us to do our best to share them, making the most of the present day. We can reach others to share this news in so many varied ways nowadays.

Making the most of the present keeps us focused. Journaling or keeping info on our smartphones can help us remember what we did in the past, what we’re doing daily, and what we are planning to do in the future.

We spend our first 20 years or so preparing for the future. I spent my teenage years sewing and embroidering linens and buying countless bridal magazines to choose a wedding dress. After graduation, I remember having a well-paying job after becoming engaged. I had a small cedar chest, called a hope chest, that I’d fill with things I’d use after my fiancé returned from Vietnam and we’d get married. All I could dream about was marrying and starting a family like those depicted on TV: Donna Reed Show, Father Knows Best, and the like. (We were married 51 years before he passed.)

Anyway, we all spend the first 1/3 of our lives wanting to hurry and grow up; we spent the second 1/3 of our lives marrying and raising a family; then the last years of our lives wondering where the time went as we were hoping for a more relaxing and enjoyable retirement. Instead of really making the most of the present, we keep our minds on what we hope and plan on what happens next.

So, in reference to Bible wisdom, in becoming the person we were created to be, (a servant of our Creator), we need to keep the past in the past, live every day in serving others, making the world a better place, and have hope for good health to be able to enjoy our future as we age. If we keep things in proper perspective daily, we won’t regret how we lived once we enter our golden years.

I’d like to add, even though our country’s future seems so uncertain, I still trust God. I pray that our faith in Him will see us through as we are challenged to remain His believers. Did you know there are new editions of the Bible being printed that are omitting Scriptures here and there? Just be careful in selecting a new Bible for yourself or as a gift. (So far, the New King James version is still the same.) Have a blessed week!