Enjoying the Goodness In the Moment

I HAD a vision on the way back from a catch-up with a friend. I saw my future where three years from then I’d look back with regretful fondness that I could no longer have fun times at the park with my then two-year-old son. This, out of the backdrop that I don’t always enjoy these times with my son, because I’m often too preoccupied by things that are actually insignificant.

We don’t enjoy the goodness implicit in every moment.

God has anointed the time and the day, and he has appointed them for us.

Yet, we take what God says is “good” and we make much ado of nothing, because our minds are kept busy and our hearts chase idols. Oh for some sheer, unadulterated perspective! The truth is, that perspective that seems so horrible is the self-same perspective that shapes us back toward God. When we see that we are far from God we are turned toward him in an instant.

We are far from God when we don’t enjoy the goodness in the moment.

This is not to say every moment is good, for many are too ghastly to imagine. But there is goodness even in the ghastly if we carry the Presence of God in there.

A simple illustration in authenticity:

The friend I caught up with helped me acknowledge this afresh. He was real. He shared from his heart. He shared his truth. Indeed, he shared what could only be God’s truth, because he had reflected long over what God had been saying. He shared his own weakness, pain and joy. And, he inspired me!

The goodness in the moment was the reality of being real.

And we may take that goodness into our moments by respecting the realities that ascribe themselves the larger part in our lives. Truth and peace coexist. When we give presence to the truth in our lives we come close to the experience of peace. This is shown to be true in the counselling experience: when our truth has been heard we feel better.

The goodness in the moment has been anointed for its time and day.

The goodness in the moment has been appointed for each of our moments.

The goodness in the moment is a powerful gospel truth — eternally available — even in fatigue, hopelessness, confusion and despair.

The goodness in the moment doesn’t change the truth of our moment, which may be horrendous and unchangeable. But it does challenge and change our perspective.

We are near to God, when, no matter the circumstance, we can enjoy the goodness in one living moment of eternality. Our lives are one long series of trillions of these moments.

Take a moment...

© 2015 Steve Wickham.