Are you looking past tomorrow? Or simply living for today?
Did you know over 70% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck? Are you one of those who live in the “Thank God it’s Friday; Oh God it’s Monday” mentality? Do you jump for joy on payday and moan and groan when you have to do the work to earn that paycheck? Is your paycheck gone in a matter of days? Then you spend the rest of the pay period pulling your hair out and scrimping to just get by.
Sounds stressful if you think about it. I think sometimes we live with this paycheck to paycheck mentality in many areas of our lives and don’t even realize it. We’re frantically chasing our tails, praying we can make everything fit into its perfect little box. But life isn’t perfect. Living is messy. But does that mean we should live stuck in the dreaded, monotonous cycle?
Plenty equals party equals panic. We live with plenty when things are good, spend the plenty in a period of party, and then when the plenty’s gone and the party’s over we panic until there’s plenty again? Sounds a little like the Prodigal Son story…what a way to waste your life…
Living for today means you disregard the future. Going back to the monetary example, think about savings. You can either blow your entire paycheck, panic until the next one comes in, and spend your life dreading Mondays, or…or you can choose the sacrifice it takes to live on less than you make and store up enough nuts to make it through whatever metaphorical winter you may face in the future. Plan B sounds much less stressful to me, personally.
Can you imagine living without worry or fear? Can you imagine living without wondering if you can make it to next month without pulling out some seriously slick moves? What would you do if you had more control over your stress, and consequently, your time? What would it look like to have enough emotional control and strength to live your life the way you want to live it, the way God intended you to live it?
Money is only one stress-factor in our lives–a huge one, but still, just one. I think sometimes we go about all areas of our lives like this: reveling in our bountiful excess and then running around like a chicken with our heads cut off when it runs out far too soon. We live without a plan. We live without intentionality.
I like making plans. But what does it look like to make a plan for your life? To live on purpose? To live for a purpose, with a purpose? Living without a plan takes a lot of emotional bandwidth out of our lives. It makes it difficul to grow and learn. It’s hard enough to have joy in the trials and life is known for being generious with curve balls.
Life is precious. It’s invaluable. There is no price you can place on the value of a life. So why treat your life as if it’s worthless? I get it; we all struggle. Sometimes it’s hard to make ends meet. Sometimes it’s hard to take the high road. Sometimes it’s hard to be the men and women God created us to be everyday.
Now, I’m taking about more than just finances here. Sure, it’s a pain to manage your finances. And, sure, much of our lives in this culture revolves around money. Money gives us choices. It gives us options. It allows us to live comfortably among our fine things and to dine at fancy restaurants. And, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to have little. I come from a family of very little means. I’ve learned to work hard and to earn my keep. I know what it’s like to scrape by. But I have hope that it won’t always be this way. And I have a plan.
I plan to live without fear. That’s a bold statement. Yeah, you know what, it is. And I’m not so foolish as to think I can make it through this life completely fearless. I’m human. And I’m kind of a chicken sometimes. But overall, I plan to live trusting that my God is in control. His hand is on my life and His plans are far greater than any I can dream for myself. I don’t have to fear the curve balls life throws at me because I know somehow this is working for my good.
I plan to live in awareness. I mean to have checkpoints, to stop and think about where I am, what I’ve done, and where I want to be. If I’ve strayed from the path, how do I get back? I don’t like getting lost–and I’m personally qutie prone to it. So how do I guard against this? I climb a tree every now and then and figure out where the crap I am in this dark forest called life! If I set goals and have accountability in my life, then I won’t look back in twenty years and mourn the wasteland I see in the rearview mirror.
The Prodigal Son wouldn’t have had such a happy ending if he’d kept his head down and continued living without a plan. He would still be living for today if he hadn’t thought about tomorrow. He wouldn’t have run home if he hadn’t owned up to his mistakes. He chose to face his fear of returning home and to be aware of his suroundings. He chose to see life as precious and to plan for that gift. He decided life was worth more than the elation of living for today.
The Prodigal Son’s story turned out pretty well. But do you know why? He looked up. He admitted that he was living in fifth. He knew this wasn’t how he wanted to spend his life. And he ran home, humbly, I might add. His father welcomed him with open arms…and ours does too.
What’s in your plenty, party, panic cycle? What part of your life makes you panic? What is your metaphorical Monday? What part of your life drains you and what part of it makes you so intoxicated with relief that you throw everything else out the window on Friday? When’s the last time you climbed a tree and looked for the Son?
Love always,
Coralie