Present or Extant - Cleaning Up The Present
Week Four of The Glass Desk Book Study
Read Chapter Four:
Monday – pages 57-60
Tuesday – pages 61-64
Wednesday – pages 65-68
Thursday – pages 69-72
Friday – pages 73-76
Saturday & Sunday – spend time with the Lord and journal answers to chapter four questions.
The present.
That can be a heavy word depending on the circumstances you are currently facing. Some are ready to move into the future and let this present quickly become the past. Ever feel that way?
Many people are currently facing the most troubling financial hardships of their life. This has been a tough year, and in the minds of many, we are waiting on Christmas. When troubles alight, our psyche can drift into daydreams about the future or things that bring us hope and joy – such as Christmas.
We are at a time in history where so many families are waiting on Christmas both figuratively and literally – I mean, it is RIGHT around the corner! Waiting on Christmas is a statement that we can use jokingly to express how long something is taking. It may often be synonymous with that longing we feel while we wait upon Jesus. We are looking expectantly for His provision to bring our hearts’ hopes to pass, but it can feel as if we are waiting on Christmas. Can I get an Amen? The. Struggle. Is. Real.
We find ourselves frequently clinging to the statement, “the best is yet to come.” Yet, in that statement is an unnoticed forsaking of our present and the lives of those in our present. The best may be yet to come, but that doesn’t mean our now needs to lack joy and hope.
When we assess our now, it’s important to distinguish if we are merely present or if we are actually existing. We need to use this lens of connectedness and involvement in assessing our existence and our presence and existence in the relationships around us.
When speaking of cleaning up the present, maybe you think, “Yep. Presently my kitchen needs a good cleaning.” To which we all raise our hands in agreement, but the real goal behind cleaning up our present is to become intentional about the relationships we entertain and how deeply we engage with them.
We need to assess why the various relationships in our present are there. How are we stewarding our time? Are we simply in particular relationships because we carry a spirit of people-pleasing?
It can be relatively easy to clean up the past or look to the future, but focusing on our present means, we can’t turn a blind eye to changes that need to be made. We have to come face to face with things that might just rub us the wrong way. You know – those things that you secretly hope if you ignore them long enough, they will go away.
As you walk through this week’s reading, I encourage you to gracefully assess your present, make decisions about your involvements, and be intentional about the relationships you choose to water. Your decisions now will have an impact on the growth of your future. These same decisions will allow your past to be transformed into something rooted in the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Seek Jesus and His direction in the decisions you need to make, and watch Him transform your present into one full of joy and hope regardless of your circumstances.
Let me know what you think of the questions below.
1. Does the thought of making relational changes cause you anxiety? Why? Could it be rooted in people-pleasing?
2. How can you cultivate a heart of compassion to help clean up new offenses and hurts swiftly?
Happy reading, friends!
