Faith

Think LongTerm

by Curt Klingeman
08/25/24
Free to Share

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

The Hazards of Short-Term Thinking

While it is important to live in the moment, it is equally important to not live for the moment. The former speaks to being present, which has great merit, especially when interacting with others. In the latter case, those who live like there is no tomorrow, tend to overlook what may lie ahead, while ignoring future consequences of their choices and actions. What a person does, or fails to do today, does affect his or her future. Can you think of anything you suffered as a result of not thinking ahead?
Unfortunately, some live as if there are no eternal consequences for their current lifestyle. If they do consider eternity, they procrastinate doing what has eternal value. For instance, some want to “get it out their system,” before they surrender to God. Another example is the believer who ignores his calling, as if he has plenty of time to obey. Many are not taking to heart that their lives have a shelf-life, and they may find an undesired eternity. Others, may lose whatever rewards they might have gained had they obeyed when called. Not to mention, failing to impact lives of those with whom they would have interacted.
James 4:13-14 Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
There are too many unknowns to live haphazardly for the moment. The variables are staggering! By the way, impulsiveness is flesh-driven; not Sprit-led.

Hazards of Ignoring the Present

This is not meant to throw the proverbial wet blanket on anyone’s fun. In fact, some miss out on the fun, because they procrastinate leisure time. There are a lot of frustrated people who fail to enjoy the moment. Leisure time never materializes for those who do not properly embrace the moment. Individuals miss so much, because they fail to squeeze out what they can get from life, each day. It’s not that we have to constantly be doing something. It’s okay to sit still and rest. Of course, it’s not a great idea to become a professional couch-potato.
How many find themselves stressed out, because they deferred something they should have done earlier, and the eleventh hour arrives with unfinished work before them. Adding insult to injury, they find themselves frustrated because they don’t time for other things as a result. The little snowball just turned into an avalanche. Does anyone relate to that?
Because of being overly focused on the end of the world, many Christians disengaged with society, leaving holes where the enemy could get a foothold. How many decided against doing things that might have further impacted the world around them, because they thought they were going to be raptured anytime, and there was no use in doing them? So many opportunities were missed, because they failed to pursue those things. For instance, secularism made great headway on university and college campuses, because Christians weren’t there to stem the tide. “No use getting an education, Jesus will be calling us up any moment.”
This completely ignores what Jesus taught us. We are supposed to occupy until He comes. It means living in the moment, while having an eye on the future. One would think if they truly believed Jesus would be here any moment, they would have been motivated to make as many disciples as possible until He does return. If we truly believe the Bible, shouldn’t we all be motivated to be busy about the Father’s business? No pressure!

Think Long-Term

 Luke 19:11-13 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come (read verses 14-27, and Acts 1:6-8).

perfectfaith.org