KEVIN MATTATALL: Just three things — past, present, future

There are three things that we all have in common: we all have a past called yesterday, we all live in the present called today and we all have a future called tomorrow.

The Bible talks about our past and tells us how to handle past events. Paul the Apostle said in Philippians, “one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”

We are all caught in the middle between letting go of past events and reaching forward to future dreams. Like Tarzan swinging through the jungle, failing to let go of the last vine can stop him from ever leaving where he’s been.

The Bible tells us to forget those things which are behind us. Our past should be divided into two groups; first we have the things that we did right according to the word of God and we should work to make them a part of who we are today. Second, what we did wrong according to the word and we should try our best to never repeat them again.

Wisdom that leads to success is often no more than making the right choices between what you have decided to carry with you into today and what you have chosen to leave behind. Don’t drag the rain clouds of yesterday into the sunshine of today. If you do, it will be another miserable day for everybody.

Then we all have today, this present moment. One of my favourite things to tell people if they want to be happy is just be nice. Being nice is an attitude and the visible height that you’ll attain today can be measured by the size of your inward invisible attitude.

If your attitude stinks, the smell will keep everyone away and a present bad attitude reveals that you have failed to put something away that needed to be left in your past.

We are all caught in the middle between letting go of past events and reaching forward to future dreams. Like Tarzan swinging through the jungle, failing to let go of the last vine can stop him from ever leaving where he’s been.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12 “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus endured some things that were shameful but that didn’t stop Him from having a present joy as He trusted His Heavenly Father for the future.

God wants us all to have a blessed future and to that end He has given us great and precious promises concerning tomorrow.

This is where we must access our trust in God that God goes before us and we do not need to worry about tomorrow. We can like Jesus joyfully declare that our hope for a blessed future is in Christ.

It’s true that there are many things about tomorrow that we don’t seem to understand but we do know who holds tomorrow and the One we know has promised to never leave us or forsake us.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Going to church is not always an option but coming to Jesus is always possible. Ask Jesus for His help, accept Him into your heart, and allow Him to give you a great day today and a bright future forevermore.

My confidence in you is high, remember to trust in God for all of His promises are yes and amen to them that believe.

God bless you all.

Kevin Mattatall is the pastor of the Cape Breton Christian Fellowship Church.