This is not a favourite weekend for a lot of folks. This is the weekend that we “spring ahead”, time-wise: the beginning of Daylight Saving Time. If it seems early, remember that the dates for DST were broadened a number of years ago; we don’t “fall back” until November.
Losing an hour’s sleep is not fun for any of us. Historically, it also tends to be a low-attendance Sunday for churches – let’s buck that trend this year!
Yet what we lose in March, we gain in November. What goes around, comes around. What saddens me, though, is that often, I hear people wishing their lives away.
“Oh, I wish it were summer so I could go to camp.”
“Oh, I wish it were fall so I could go back to school.”
“Oh, I wish I were older so I could retire.”
In our wistful desire for achievement, or delightful experience, we want to hit the fast-forward button on our lives.
There is much value in the old Latin phrase which was the motto of my high school, and surely many other institutions: carpe diem. Seize the day.
There are many sides to this, of course. It’s possible to be very hedonistic about seizing the day, living only for our own pleasure in the moment. It’s also possible to focus on this world when seizing the day, living solely for this life and not for eternity. But it is possible to seize the day and live for eternity, too.
One way to do that is to avoid worry. Many people are given to worry, even though they know it does not one iota of good. What about tomorrow? What about next week? What about next year? There is no need to worry; God has plans.
Another way to seize the day and live for eternity is to live in the moment for the sake of eternity. By that, I mean that we can live every moment of every day with great vigour, and live for Jesus while we do so. We can enjoy life while enjoying our faith. By wishing away our days, we wish away our opportunities to sow seeds for eternity in others’ gardens.
Why not seize the day today, and live each moment for God’s glory?
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6.33-34, NLT).
Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead an hour before bed on Saturday night!
