Balance

Trends in culture swing like a pendulum in old clocks. Often, areas in our lives that needed a slight correction get overcorrected, causing a new set of obstacles to overcome. 

Those who might have high cholesterol become vegans, and those who have had an adverse reaction to green vegetables begin to eat only protein. Eating all vegetables or protein may work for a while, but common sense tells us the answers probably lie somewhere between the extremes.

We also tend to be extreme in how we understand life and the events that enrich or diminish our lives. If we are naturally pessimistic, we tend to see how things will not work out. If we are optimistic, we tend to see how things will work out. Usually, it will not be as dark as the pessimist declares or as bright as the optimist believes.

In the United States today, we see many shift into the ”mindfulness” thought process as a reaction to lives scarred by being embroiled in the past or consumed with the future. We are often focused on media and the pretend world it represents while ignoring the people and events 

Healthy relationships with God and people demand that we are engaged in the moment. Being with someone while not being with them is not wise and weakens any previously established relationship. 

However, ignoring the past and future while clinging to the moment is also troublesome, for our history affects our now, and our now is creating our future. Healthy people realize and live in all three realms—past, present, and future.

Spiritually, for those in God’s family, we see this played out in understanding the three aspects of our salvation-past, present, and future.  For those who have placed their hope in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, their past sins are forgiven, so they think of God's mercy when they think of their past failures and rejoice. When they think of the present, they celebrate because they realize that they are presently free from the very power of sin. As their minds drift to the future, they rejoice in that one day when they will be free from the very presence of sin.

They are living a healthy balance of being free from the penalty and power of sin while looking forward to one day being free from the very presence of sin.  Focusing on one of those three aspects is a problem that makes life

Mindfulness is essential in that we need to practice living in and enjoying the real world, people, and circumstances of today. However, we need to remain balanced and realize that healthy thinking demands we put the moment into context, and for that, we need to understand the past and see how the moment affects tomorrow.

I just finished reading an article praising an individual for their futuristic thinking. Once again, I thought of how valuable that gift is in the context of existing relationships and circumstances, and how healthy societies must recognize and acknowledge those who can see clearly what today's actions will bring about tomorrow.

One of the goals of the ”clear” thinker is balance. Today's decisions do not change the past and should not be altered by past failures. We need to learn from the mistakes and successes of the past, but not paralyzed by them. The ”clear” thinker is one who is engaged in the realities of the moment, knowing that the moment they are in will soon be the past, and will always affect what is to come. 

Perhaps most importantly, we need to recognize and include all three of these gifted individuals in our innermost circle of friends and influencers. We all tend to be active in one of these three areas, with some demonstrating strength in two or even all three at times.

Most assuredly, we must walk intimately with God, who clearly understands all three aspects and who can move us past our history, engage us in our significant moments, and prepare us for the future.

Once again, it comes back to walking with God, obeying Him, and loving those around us.