Living in God’s ‘now’

Recently a relative said she had been feeling concerned about the future. She had been thinking about a possible move, wondering where and when she and her husband might settle next. We talked about the idea of living in God’s “now” – staying grounded in gratitude for today’s many blessings, joyfully being where we are right at the present moment. After our discussion, she said she immediately felt better, lighter, and more peaceful.

Christ Jesus assured his followers, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself” (Matthew 6:34). The type of living in the present now that brings lasting peace and inspired solutions is not just some clever mental game. It’s a spiritual awakening based on the timeless spiritual fact of our unity with God, good.

When we get wrapped up in concerns about the future, this tends to hide our heritage of God’s ever-present goodness. As children of God, made in His spiritual image, we are continuously blessed by Him in ways we scarcely comprehend. As the one divine Mind, God governs all creation with goodness and wisdom, caring for each one of us. We are at every moment being sheltered, guided, fed with spiritual intuitions, and included in God’s holy plan.

And the wisdom and love of God never fail (see I Corinthians 13:8). Saint Paul, an apostle of Jesus, further assures us that nothing can “separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:39).

If uncertainty about the future seems to dog our thoughts, we can know that we have the God-given ability to clear out those fearful musings and dwell more consciously, moment by moment, in God’s now. Through prayer, we can realize more fully that we are spiritual and complete, not vulnerable, mortal works-in-progress. We are surrounded by and filled up full with the ever-active good that God pours forth continuously to all. And since there is no real power apart from infinite God, or Spirit, we are not at the mercy of forces that would drag us down.

Our job is to learn each day how to trust God understandingly, even in the face of stressful circumstances. As God’s reflection, we have an innate ability to do this – and it is our privilege to live out from this higher standpoint. This brings greater confidence in God’s ability to govern unerringly, wisely, and lovingly, and deepens our receptivity to the divine inspiration that brings the comfort, peace of mind, and solutions we need.

One time I was researching a more suitable living arrangement for a senior relative who needed extra care. None of my efforts seemed to pay off, and I was filled with worry about her future. That’s when I began to pray more earnestly to see God’s loving care ever present and at hand – not far off, down the line.

At one point, reaching out to divine Love with all my heart, I noticed a beautiful sunset blazing in front of me. My thoughts, inspired by this scene of glory, began to lighten and lift as an overwhelming sense of God’s love for my relative came over me. It was as if my prayers had culminated in that very moment: I just knew, right then, that God loved her and was taking care of her perfectly.

The worry and fretfulness vanished, and very shortly thereafter, there was a harmonious and quick resolution: a lovely living situation was found.

The founder of this news organization and the discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, began her seminal work with this arresting, yet comforting, sentence: “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings” (“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. vii). Elsewhere, she wrote: “Never ask for to-morrow: it is enough that divine Love is an ever-present help; and if you wait, never doubting, you will have all you need every moment” (“Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896,” p. 307).

Each of us can wake up to the spiritual reality of today that helps bring a more harmonious tomorrow.