Does Today Matter — Pam Pegram

Does Today Matter?

What does your day look like, today? We all have the same amount of time in a day, but how we fill it varies greatly. There is so much to be done – coffee to drink, work to do, children to raise, dishes to wash, people to serve, shows to watch, food to eat, lists to be made, social media to scroll, arguments to be had, worries to fret, emails to read, phone calls to be made, bills to be paid, notes to be written, drawers to be organized, groceries to be purchased, spouses to love, errands to be run, floors to be swept, dinner to be cooked, water to be drank, children to be disciplined, beds to be fluffed, clutter to be cleared, workouts to be completed, and exhaustion to be felt – not necessarily in that order. Is this your life? The struggle is real, but so is Jesus. He has a better plan for our day. We say we know that – but still we hustle and bustle as if it all depends on me. So… what if there was a way to do it better? What if I gave you a list? Are you interested now?

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life… seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:25 & 33

Throughout scripture, God focuses us on a day. As we read about creation in Genesis, he did certain things each day. As the Israelites grumbled and complained, God provided manna for the day. After the Israelites’ conquest of Canaan, in Joshua’s farewell speech he told them, “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve”. We are comforted to know His mercies are new every morning and that this is the day the Lord has made. We ask God to give us this day our daily bread and we are to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus. So, let’s all recognize that TODAY matters and let’s live it for Him. Ready?

Here are 4 practical things that you can apply now that will make a big difference.

1. Seek Him first.

At night when you prepare to go to sleep turn off all the apps on your phone, but open your Bible App.
In the morning, as soon as your eyes open, turn off your alarm, say good morning to your Lord and thank Him for your day.
On the Bible App read the verse of the day and take a minute to meditate on it, making it personal to you. Talk to God about it.
Open the daily story on the app and listen to the verse and a short explanation of it as you brush your teeth and tinkle. (We all do it, might as well use the time wisely.)
Grab your coffee and your Bible and spend some time reading, praying and being quiet.
If your family wakes up, invite them into your quiet time.

2. Create Margin - blank space – in your day.

Carve out time that is reserved to spend with Jesus. Yes, you do have time. Where? I don’t know – but I am sure you can find it.
Schedule it. It is the most important meeting of the day. 5, 10, 15 minutes. He is worth it and it will soon become your favorite part of your day. (Yes, this is in addition to your morning quiet time.)
Decide ahead of time that you will show up. What you decide, you do.
No need for your Bible or something to read. Just invite Him to come and be with you. Talk to Him and listen.
Busyness creates so much static and noise that you cannot hear God. Do you ever wonder where God is and why He isn’t showing up? Well, He is there – you are just too busy to know it.
The Bible tells us to be still and know. Do it.

3. End your day in prayer.

Thank God for everything good in your day. This will help you to recognize how good He is and all He has provided for you. It changes your perspective. Family prayer time can become such a sweet and special time. Instead of saying the same things every night – get specific.
Ask forgiveness for each time you messed up – gossiped, got angry, acted selfishly, etc. (Repentance matters.) He is ready to show you mercy – just ask.
Ask for wisdom and discernment. We need it in every area of our life – even in living out each day. We need His wisdom to put the right things on our To Do List, discernment to determine what matters, and Him to equip us to do whatever we do for His glory.
Lastly, whisper Yes. Say Yes to God’s plan for your life. Say Yes to whatever He asks you to do. His way is greater than ours.

4. Decide to do things differently.

What would your To Do List look like if Jesus were physically hanging out with you today? Well, He is – adjust accordingly.
Stop opening email or social media first – that does not get our first minutes of our day. Our Heavenly Father does.
Go into the notifications setting on your phone and silence all the apps that are distracting you. Most apps we use as needed. We don’t need them to be constantly yelling, Hey! Look at me!
Limit the news you hear that is basically opinion driven. Yes, we need to be knowledgeable about current events, but we do not need to be swayed by poplar opinion. We are to stand on the truth of God’s word.
Consider your radio station. Is it uplifting and pointing you to Jesus or is it causing you to dwell on things you shouldn’t?
Read more. In addition to reading God’s word, start reading books – fiction and non-fiction – by Christian authors who write to point us to Jesus.

Today does matter. What will you do with it? Today is really all we have. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn’t promised. Let’s recognize that today is not to be all about me, but it is to be all about Him. Let’s step into today boldly and enthusiastically ready to do what God has placed us here to do and to become who God created us to be. It is Him who has given us the strength, courage and ability to exercise the virtues of godly living – to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. There is nothing in your day more important than that.

Today is a good day to bring honor and glory to the Lord! Let’s do it.

Note from Pam:

Hi friends! Thank you for reading this post. It is my heart’s desire to help you stop worrying about all the things that don’t matter and instead, focus on what matters most! I have created some resources to help you do just that and there are so new things on the way! So if you haven’t signed up for our Blog/Newsletter, be sure to do so at the bottom of this page.

I believe we were created to be in relationship with one another and to encourage each other on this journey. So, will you share this and invite your friends to join us. We just never know who might be looking for something covered in this very post.

I have no words to express have honored I am to get to chat with you. We need one another to keep nudging each other to look up and keep moving forward in our relationship with Jesus. If you are looking for a resource to help you grow more intimate with Him, check out my book, Saved by Grace, Now What? It is available on the MWM Marketplace along with some pretty cute faith based tees.

I love you and am thankful you are here.

P