Cornerstone

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LIVING WITH JESUS IN THE NOW MOMENT

The time is 7 AM. I have to be at work at 8 AM for a big meeting with top management.

The meeting has been planned for months and management told us there is no excuse for being late. I always leave my car keys on the ledge in the kitchen. This morning they are not there. “DAM, IT.” I start to panic and wake everyone in the house up as I look for my car keys. My temper and voice start to rise, as no one else in the house seems to care. I become livid and really want to throw something thru the wall. All of a sudden I stop!!!!

I remember that I can ask JESUS to help!!! I become silent and say,” JESUS you know how important this meeting is to my future, please help me find my keys.” I start to trace my steps from the last time I saw my keys and realize I left them in the car so I would not forget them.” I don’t even have time to apologize to everyone at home, consequently their day gets off to a rough start also. Your story may be different but the concept is probably the same.

Throughout the day whenever I felt worry, anxiety or any negative emotion and actually stopped to analyze the situation I inevitably found that I did not include Jesus in my thoughts.

I had a tendency to forget Jesus throughout the everyday hustle and bustle until something major happened. Then I always felt guilty for asking him to bail me out in time of need.

I now have developed the habit of repeating my life purpose statement throughout the day to keep me centered on Jesus. My life purpose statement includes the 5 purposes for all our lives. Mine goes as follows: My life purpose is to worship Jesus by living each moment with love in my heart, act like Jesus, share Jesus with my Christian brothers and sisters, serve others in the name of Jesus, and let the light of Jesus shine thru me for all the world to see.

This life purpose statement covers the 5 purposes of life that Jesus asks us to live.

Worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism. For more information on our purpose in life please e-mail me: markl@CornerstoneAlumni.com.

I don’t mean to sound like a Holy Roller or religious fanatic. However I believe with every ounce of my being that keeping GOD in your present moment is the key to spiritual victory and living the ultimate Christian life.

By reciting this statement over and over during the day and seeing it written in my Day Timer, on the refrigerator, in the car, on the dashboard of my car, I can keep myself grounded in Jesus all day long.

This makes all the difference in the world when dealing with what life throws at us on a daily basis. Believe me I have had some pretty traumatic things happen in the past few months and without being centered in Jesus I don’t know where I’d be today.

THE NEXT FEW SENTENCES WILL BE IN CAPS BECAUSE THEY ARE THAT IMPORTANT.

GOD TELLS US IN THE SCRIPTURES THAT HE IS EVER PRESENT. THERE IS NO PAST OR FUTURE IN GOD’S LIFE. TO LIVE IN THE PAST OR THE FUTURE IS TO LIVE WITHOUT GOD. THE PRESENT, OR NOW MOMENT, IS ALL THAT EXISTS IN REALITY. THE PAST AND FUTURE ARE JUST YOUR MIND LOOKING TO ESCAPE REALITY. YOU CANNOT CONTROL THE PAST OR PREDICT THE FUTURE, WE ONLY HAVE CONTROL OF THE PRESENT MOMENT.

Now I can explain that worry, anxiety, fear, remorse, anger, hate, and jealousy all stem from thoughts about the past or future. We imprison ourselves in negativity when we do not live in the now moment.

THE CHALLENGE HERE IS TO HAVE THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO KEEP BRINGING JESUS INTO YOUR LIFE EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY.

Jesus will give you the answers because the answers are part of our spirituality and engrained in our hearts. When we live our lives by ourselves and try to work things out on our own we are destined for failure. Not necessarily in earthly terms but in terms of growing spiritually to prepare us for eternity.

Just imagine what your life would be like if you lived every moment of it in the presence of JESUS. Your day would certainly be different. You would think differently, act differently, you would worship differently, love differently and most of all have a different relationship with GOD.

This mindset is possible if we desire to live this way. I believe we all have moments that perhaps only last seconds or minutes where we become in perfect harmony with JESUS and when we do, WOW!!!!!!!!

Some say that moment was an epiphany, some say they became enlightened and some simply have a wonderful feeling and then lose it and go back to living in the past or the future.

I have spoken to people who tell me they do not know how to meditate. I say to them, nonsense and then go on to prove my point. I ask them, “Do you know how to worry.”

They say,” sure.” I go on to tell them that worry is meditation in action. Meditation is the ability to think of nothing but one thought. Worry is just meditation on a negative thought. It’s actually a lack of faith in JESUS to handle your problem.

These are some tips for staying in the present and keeping JESUS in our mind and heart all day long.

Create one sentence that you can repeat all day long that keeps you grounded in JESUS. Example: JESUS keep reminding me to talk with you all day, I love you.
Pray as often as possible. Not lengthy prayers, one-sentence prayers that keep you focused. Example: JESUS keep me focused on helping others and not always thinking about my own wants and desires.
Create a life purpose statement and commit it to memory. Repeat it as often as possible. While driving, while in the bathroom, while waiting on line and so on. Here is mine: My life purpose is to worship JESUS by living the now moment in his presence, grow and mature in I JESUS, share JESUS with my brothers and sisters, serve JESUS in ministry, and let the light of JESUS shine through me for all the world to see.
Greet each day with love in your heart. If you stay grounded in love you will be living in the present moment.
When you do for others any kind deed you are living in the present. The act of kindness keeps us present minded.
Read the bible. One chapter is enough to keep you grounded in the present.
Meditate on your purpose in life not your goals. (Read Purpose Driven Life to really nail this point down).
Anything worthwhile in life requires some effort. Make a conscious effort to keep JESUS with you wherever you go, whatever you do, whenever you can. Your life will never be the same. GOD BLESS YOU!

by Mark Lederman