The other day I bumped into an older gentleman at church. He told me that it was his birthday, and I found out that he was in his “upper 80s” (which I thought was quite impressive considering his mobility and awareness).
We started small-talking but then the conversation turned into something so helpful and profound that I had never really considered.
Although our conversation was very short (because the worship service was about to start), he gave me a piece of advice that I will not soon forget. Here is what he said: Always plan something for tomorrow.
When he said that, I was both surprised and confused. I was surprised because this had been the first real, friendly conversation that I had ever had with him, even though we passed by each other quite a bit. But I was also confused because I was not sure what he meant.
So, after I asked him to expound on what he said, it became immediately clear how life-changing this advice could be, especially for someone who is getting older or retired from their career.
I decided at that point that not only would I write this down and remember this for my future self, but I would try to communicate it with others, especially people I cared about.
Avoiding Anxiety about Tomorrow
Here is the point of the advice I was given. Every day that we live we should make a plan for something to do on the next day. It doesn’t really matter what it is, as long as you plan it.
For example, you can plan to wash a car, go grocery shopping, mow the grass, organize a closet, go to lunch with someone, or just about anything else that is positive.
The reason why this advice can be so helpful, especially for anyone later in life who is retired or has a winding-down career, is that if we do not plan anything, our days will start running together, time will slip by, our lives will lose purpose, and our health will decline.
This is one of the most intriguing aspects of the passing of time. When we are living life, going places, doing new things, having new experiences, talking with new people, and even dealing with difficulties, time can seem to “slow down.”
However, when we are operating like normal, doing mundane things that we have done hundreds of times before at places that we are already familiar with people that we already know, time can seem to “fly by.”
But the passing of time does not ever fluctuate (except for daylight savings time, which I still struggle getting used to). Instead, it is all about our perception. When our minds and senses are processing and trying to understand new experiences, time seems to go slower.
But when our minds and senses can go on autopilot because there is nothing new to process or understand, then time seems to speed up.
For example, my summers as a child seemed to last forever because I was experiencing so many new things by exploring the woods, going on trips, playing games, reading books, etc.
But now as an adult, I can barely remember my summer because I mostly do the same, normal things at home and work.
To be clear, though, this does not mean that there is no time or place in our lives for rest (including in our planning for tomorrow).
Sometimes actually planning something that is life-giving and restful for our souls (like swimming, reading, taking a nap, going on a walk, or even watching a movie) is just as important as planning to accomplish something.
In fact, planning to rest and “play” can give our lives rhythm and build in milestones that we will never forget. But if all we do is rest and not work or play then we will waste away.
Living in the Present with an Eternal Perspective
Even before the Fall of mankind by sin, we read in the first couple of chapters of Genesis how God made us work, be active, steward what he has given us, and enjoy one another’s presence. If all we do is sit and do nothing it goes against our very God-given human nature.
Also, this does not mean that we can ever assume that we will even have tomorrow. In reality, today could be the last day of our lives. That goes for any of us, whether we are young or old, healthy or unhealthy.
James 4:14 reminds us that our life is not much more than a “vapor” that rises up from a pot of boiling water before it dissipates as quickly as it appeared. He wrote it like this:
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” — yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin (James 4:13-17, ESV).
We notice in this passage that God is criticizing our prideful hearts and boasting about our abilities to plan or accomplish things. He is not criticizing planning.
In fact, in contrast, he says to go ahead and plan to go places, do things, and make money on “today or tomorrow,” yet do it with a heart that is in submission to God’s will and desires.
While assuming that we have tomorrow might be arrogant, assuming that we will not have tomorrow is unwise stewardship.
We can even see this kind of submissive planning in Jesus who, when he was facing what was about to take place over the next few days (meaning his crucifixion), prayed to his Father and completely submitted to his will.
Jesus prayed: “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). In fact, Jesus’ entire life was lived with purpose and planning, yet he was always ready and willing to change course and do what his Father told him to do.
Trusting in God's Providence
So, remember that today is a gift from God worth living. There are activities that he wants us to do with the gifts he has given us, there are conversations he wants us to have with the people he sends us, and there is rest that he wants us to take to care for the souls he has given us.
Today and all that comes with it is a blessing from God. And if God sees fit to give us tomorrow to live, then we must see it as even more of a gift from him that we did not deserve. That is God’s grace.
And the wonderful news is that while we are not promised tomorrow, because of Jesus we can enter into tomorrow with hope and faith instead of dread or apathy. We can plan ahead yet still submit to the Father’s will.
So, never let a day go by that you do not plan something for the next day. That will give every day of your life purpose.
Today, plan something for tomorrow.
For further reading:
Why Should We Not Worry about Tomorrow?
Is ‘Because He Lives, I Can Face Tomorrow’ in the Bible?
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/alexawilliams
