Are you living your life to the fullest or are you sleepwalking through life? Do you find yourself daydreaming about the past or a future that feels unobtainable? We can easily get stuck in these kinds of thoughts. They are the greatest thief in the present. 

The mind can play tricks on us and hold us captive to a prison of our own creating. You have the ability to change. This is not your practice life. You only get one and it’s time to start living it to its full potential. 

God has a good plan for your life, but it takes trust to embrace all He has for you.

Not in the future

I was complaining to a friend following a frightening health diagnosis for my daughter. Terrified, I walked her through all of the what-ifs swirling through my thoughts. She stopped me and gently said, “But what did the doctor say needed to be done today? Breathe and focus on today. The rest will come when it comes.” In her kindness, she refocused me onto the present. She gave me a task that was manageable and helped to realign my thoughts from the future that is unknown to the present at hand. 

Matthew 6:34 (MSG) tells us to do the same. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

Becoming consumed with the what-if scenarios of the future only robs us of the present. Instead, look to the future with the hope of Christ. After all, Jesus came to give us a clear picture of what good looks like, what love feels like. Take those lessons and apply them to the what-if scenarios. 

In my situation with my daughter, the what-ifs turned into clear pictures of who would be sitting beside me through some of our hardest days ahead. My friend who spoke truth would be a source of strength for me, and I had a community of people in the present who were eager to come alongside us and support us no matter what happened. I had, in that moment, a God who loved me and my daughter and who would still love us regardless of where the road took us.

Living life to the fullest meant being present with the beautiful child in my arms and learning to love every moment I got. 

Not in the past

In the same way, overly focusing on past regrets and triumphs distorts living life to the fullest. If you really want to learn how to live well, start hanging out with people who are dying. Listen to their stories, triumphs, regrets, and unfulfilled dreams. You will learn something from their past. 

From sitting beside those who are nearing the end of their lives, I’ve learned the importance of loving the people in front of me. I see the importance of putting away the distractions and focusing fully on family and friends. 

The past can trap us. Memories that are good can pull us in and tell us it will never be that good again. Regrets spiral our emotions out of control and tell us we aren’t good enough to have a fulfilled life now. Both are lies. 

You and I are complete in the love of God. That love is big enough to cover all the regrets. That love contains promises of joy and hope that will carry us into a future where more beautiful memories are waiting to be created. Whatever has happened or will happen, God’s got us in His loving embrace right now.

Stop looking to recreate the past or make life great again. Start with the present and make now better than it has ever been!

Live your life to the fullest today

Don’t sit by waiting for your life to happen. Don’t let your fear today become regret tomorrow. Instead, embrace the fullness of God’s love, go out and love those around you in big ways. Spread kindness and give others hope for tomorrow. Live a life worth living, one that at the end you will look back on with joy. 

How do you do that? You wake up every morning and you follow Jesus Christ. He is for you, not against you. When you say yes to Jesus over and over again you have peace with God, you have peace in the moment. God is a relational God and wants good for you. The peace He offers is peace with yourself and peace with others.

Happiness is all about who, not about what. Love the people in front of you and your life will be full.

Join us on Unfiltered Radio where we explore how to live life to the fullest every day by following the example of Jesus’ life. Jesus invites us to enjoy life. Let’s learn more together.