Getting hit between the eyes is never fun. But sometimes we need to get hit between the eyes to clear our minds and realign our focus. Over the past two months, since the beginning of the year I have felt like I was in a thick fog, a fog of confusion and chaos that caused me to kind of float through my routine without giving God the glory he deserves. However, on a rainy Wednesday morning when I would rather have been sleeping under piles of blankets, God nailed me right between the eyes and knocked me from my dazed confusion into a clearer state of mind.

The fog was a fog of worry. My thoughts were focused not on the present but the future. As 2012 dawned and I had turned 21 three weeks ago, my thoughts became consumed with what direction I was going and how I could make a living in the years to come. While planning for the future is not bad, I had gotten so focused on the next step that I was missing the step I was currently taking. I was doing what Peter did after getting out of the boat when Jesus walked on the water. I had followed Jesus to this point, and I wanted to continue following him, but my gaze turned from where Jesus had led me so far, and had turned to where he could possibly be leading me in the future.

The truth I was hit with this morning in chapel is:

Am I living in such a way that the light of the gospel shines brightly through me? Is it obvious to those around me that I am a Christian?

Today's chapel message came from Matthew 5:13-16, where Jesus describes his followers as salt and light in the sermon on the mount. You might be wondering what this has to do with being worried about the future, and not living in the present. Well, as Christians we are called to be different from the world. If this is true, then we need to live focused on where God currently has us and not focused on the future. Living in the present allows us to focus our energies and efforts on being diligent with the tasks that we currently have, and therefore do those tasks well. When we work hard, and do our work well the world notices, and God gets the glory.

Lately, my life has been crazy and filled with ups and downs. But God is in control, and God has reminded me that by worrying about the future is a waste of time that causes me to sink in the waves of the storm. As I follow Christ, my concern should not be the next step and getting there but on being faithful where he has already led me.

Truly Blessed,

Matt

(Numbers 6:24-26)