Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16
Today has been a rough day. My symptoms have been flaring and I have found it difficult to keep moving and be productive. Fatigue and lack of focus are making it rough to think and to write let alone maintain a healthy attitude. That’s often the case for those of us struggling with illness. Whether it’s dealing with our infirmities in general or the various symptoms that present themselves, days are regularly difficult and require much effort to endure. Many trials offer similar effects. It may be grief, caring for a dying loved one, attempting to redirect a rebellious child or any of the other life traumas that completely overwhelm us, but whatever “it” is, we are easily shut down and find it difficult to manage the affairs of the day let alone be industrious or thrive. The phrase “carpe diem” means to “make the most of the present time and give little thought to the future”. While it is often used in the context of secular hedonism, this discussion is more about seizing the day to fulfill the tasks God sets before us. Furthermore, I’m not referring to great expenditures of energy or monumental tasks, but rather our attitude as we approach each day. In order properly seize the day, there are at least three aspects of our mental state that should be considered: peace, diligence and flexibility.
If we want to be focused and productive, we need to settle our minds. In other words, we must be at peace and free of distraction. While it may be challenging, as we mature in faith it is possible to develop an attitude of peace even in “the midst of the storm”. First and foremost, we must be at peace with God. That is striving to have a strong relationship with Him by obeying His precepts, confessing our sins when we fail, and elevating His will above our own. Not that we will ever be perfect in this life, but striving to be obedient and yielding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit as we grow in grace. Isaiah 26:3 says: “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.” Our reliance on God and serving Him faithfully will yield that peace. We must also be at peace with our circumstances understanding that God has placed us in them for a reason. Peace is a choice. We either trust in God or we focus on our problems. So we must follow the apostle Paul’s urging to “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15) Christ has promised to carry our burdens, but we must act to relinquish them to find peace. Finally, we must be a peace with those around us. Romans 12:18 tells us: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men”; Hebrews 12:14 echoes this command. While we cannot control the actions of others, we can control our anger, words and demeanor to be peaceful. Further, when we are at peace with God and our own circumstances, it is much easier to be at peace with those around us because we are free from the stress that so often causes us to react negatively to the infractions of others. While we may feel overwhelmed by the command to maintain a peaceful spirit, we don’t have to do this on our own. Romans 15:13 reminds us that we do this through the power of the Holy Spirit.
“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat.” (Proverbs 13:4) If we are to truly make the most of each day, we must be diligent in all things. We must be intentional and look for the opportunities to serve that God provides within the boundaries of our ability. He will most certainly stretch us beyond what we think we are able, but there again, we act in the power of the Holy Spirit rather than our own strength. It is that attitude of service that keeps us properly focused. One common problem with seizing the day is waiting for perfect conditions. As the laws of sin and nature are against us in this regard, there will never be a perfect: set of circumstances, time or energy level. We are called to action in the positions that we find ourselves. Finally, we must be intent on acting to the best of our ability doing everything “as unto the Lord”. We must engage to the highest level that we are able remembering that all we do is ultimately to glorify God. While we may be in prayer for and acting for the benefit of others, in the end we are serving God. Anything less will leave our service diminished and our souls deficient in the end.
“The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 19:21) While diligence requires a bit of forethought and intention, we must also be flexible in all aspects. First we must be flexible with our plans. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas intended to go to Asia. However, the Holy Spirit prevented them. Had they stuck to their plan, they would have been disobedient and working in their own strength rather than working with and in the strength of the Holy Spirit to have an effective ministry. We must do likewise. We must also be willing to adapt our demeanors to the needs presented. Christ leads us in this regard by example. He, as Almighty God, subjected Himself to human form in order to minister to us and be sacrificed for us. During that ministry He spoke with authority as He taught in the synagogue and interacted with the Jewish leaders; humbly dined with “tax gatherers and sinners”; and compassionately healed the infirmed. We don’t know who God will bring to us, but we must be willing to adapt to the situation and meet the needs of all rather than limiting ourselves to those who are like us with respect to life style, intellect, income or religious views. We also need to adapt to various kinds of ministry. Some are called to very prominent forms of ministry while others minister in administrative ways staying in the background. For most of us, our ministry will be done quietly in a variety of situations and forms of service. One of the ways that I have been blessed by my illness is that it has brought me into contact with many like myself who struggle on a daily basis. Despite their own problems, they minister regularly to me and to others by praying, sharing scripture and devotionals, and encouraging through social media. It is quiet but very meaningful because of understanding they have and the sacrifice that they make to reach out in spite of their own maladies and limitations. It is very difficult to be obedient when we are rigid in our planning, target audience or type of service. However, when we humbly follow God’s lead and reach out to all whom God brings before us in whatever manner He calls us, we work with Him and in His strength.
As noted, the term carpe diem implies that we ignore the future. In order to seize the day, we must focus on the present by putting negative aspects of the past and the future out of our minds, i.e. ruing previous experiences and hurts as well as worrying about the future. However, unlike secular hedonism, we do look to the future with respect to eternity. It is our hope in God, His love, His promises and His faithfulness that motivate us to endure, to serve and to obey. It is our trust in Him and His direction that allows us to have and attitude of peace, diligence and flexibility understanding that His knowledge, plans, and ability transcend what our minds can fully comprehend. It is working with the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to empower us for the service set before us that permits us to look beyond our limitations to accept the tasks assigned. In short, it is our faith that provides the appropriate attitude for service.
Seize the day and serve as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.
Will