How can I be present with God's presence?

Being absent minded is one of the most detrimental mindsets to my productivity and mental well-being throughout the day. When I am lost in thought pondering things past or things to come is when I find it impossible to be fully applied to the task at hand. Worrying about what shall take place in the future is a problem. In actuality the only thing that is real is the present moment. Why do I find myself constantly thinking about the past and future? Why is it so hard to be present with the present moment? How can I be present with God’s presence?

As a believer in Christ, I believe that to stay in the present moment two fundamental truths must be realized and engrained in my heart and mind.

The first truth is that the past does not change how God see’s me in the present. I do not need to worry about whether God loves me in the present moment. He always has and He always will.

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. – Jeremiah 31:3

My God loves me with an everlasting love. He does not love me one minute and disregard me the next. His love is constant and unwavering towards me. Nothing I have ever done in the past and nothing I will ever do in the future can change this truth. In light of this truth, it is imperative that I do not dwell on things of the past. Rather, I can focus on the present and what is in front of me with the fullness of my attention and with confidence knowing that I am backed by the constant love of my creator and His unfailing kindness towards me. The apostle Paul reiterates the importance of not dwelling on things of the past in his letter to the Philippian church.

But one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3: 13-14

I am called to forget that which has already happened to focus fully on what lies ahead of me. To grasp this command in its fullness would be so beneficial. The human brain can process eleven million bits of information per second. However, our conscious minds can only handle between forty and fifty bits a second. I do not want to be wasting precious bits of information worrying about the past. This is a huge hinderance to what I am attempting to accomplish in the present. By applying this mindset given by the apostle Paul and by believing in the truth about how God views me in a lovingly, kind manner, I can leave the past where it is and strive forward to what lays ahead.

To infinity and beyond. – Buzz Light Year

The second fundamental truth that is imperative to remaining in the present moment is understanding that God’s faithfulness towards me will never change. When I am worrying about the future, I am typically going through worst case scenarios, failures, or horrible tragedies that could befall me. When I am thinking in this way, I am seeing the future apart from God’s faithfulness and apart from the truth of His words to me. This is what God’s word says about what He has planned for my future.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11

This promise is confirmed and expanded upon in the New Testament.

And we know for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28

God’s plan for my life is to lavish goodness and welfare upon me. In order to give me a future and a hope. What a beautiful promise. If I believe that God hold’s my future in His hands and has a good plan for my life; I should, theoretically, be able to move forward in the present moment without worrying about what will happen in the future.

So, what does it look like to walk in faith in the present moment?

Walking in faith means believing that God is who He says He is and acting like you believe it. It means believing that the God I serve is the same God who formed creation out of nothing. He is the same God who parted the Red Sea to save His people out of the hands of the Egyptians. The God I serve is the same God who shut the mouths of the lions in the time of Daniel. He is the same God who consumed the wood, the water and the offering with fire from heaven in the time of Elijah. He is the same God who gave a shepherd boy victory over a giant, with only a stone and a sling. He is the same God who came to earth, cast out demons, healed the sick and walked on water. He is still the same God who died and then rose from the dead, conquering death and grave. He is the same God who has been raised to the throne in heaven, who has been given the name above every other name with power, glory and dominion over EVERYTHING.

My King is Jesus and He is alive.

Walking with faith in the present is trusting that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Believe that Jesus is who He says He is. Walk with the knowledge that the King of the universe is your best friend, that He cares for you and has a beautiful plan for your life.

If I can engrain this truth into my heart and mind. I can walk confidently in the present, with God’s presence.