Past, Present, Future

Do you ever struggle with knowing how to look at your current circumstances?

The book of Colossians is a letter written by the Apostle Paul while he is in prison. Think about that situation! Paul followed God’s calling to share the Gospel, and as a result of that, he’s ended up in jail. For doing the will of God, Paul ended up in prison! There’s a passage in chapter 4 of Colossians where Paul puts his experience in perspective of the past, the present, and the future. Here’s what he says in Colossians 4:2-6:

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison– that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

At the beginning of this passage, Paul looks both backwards and forwards. The first thing he tells the Colossians to do is look back. Gratitude is inherently tied to the past. Paul encourages them to continue steadfastly praying, but to be watchful in it with thanksgiving. He’s teaching them to look back and see how God has provided.

How often are we guilty of really praying hard for something to happen, but missing how God may move in our life? Maybe we rejoice at a circumstance changing in our life, but we quickly forget that we’ve been praying for that to happen – we’ve just witnessed the power of God moving in our life! Sometimes we skip right over it.

Paul goes from talking about the past, to talking about the future. He’s no longer asking them to watch what God has done, but he’s asking them to pray about what God will do. This is interesting when you think about Paul’s circumstances. He’s in prison! I think if I were writing this letter, I would ask for prayers that a door would open, not for the Gospel, but in my prison cell! Paul is convinced that God can use his current circumstances for the spread of the story of Jesus.

The way we pray about what we’re going through is greatly impacted by our relationship with the past. If we understand how God has provided for us in the past, we will have a much more vibrant relationship with Him in prayer and devotion in the present. Our perspective is also impacted by our view of the future. Is the future enticing because of what it might hold for us, or because we’re anticipating what God will do for His glory?

Paul finishes out this passage by having the Colossians (and us) look toward what they should be like in the present:

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Our gratitude for the past and our anticipation of the future affects how we live in the present. The kind of people that Paul describes are the kind of people that we all want to be around! Who doesn’t want gracious, wise friends?

Our present is sandwiched directly in between the past and the future. In order to have a right perspective on the present, we have to have the past in view and the future in focus. We have to be moving towards something, but also learn from what has happened in the past.

We should be able to look back in our life with gratitude and thanksgiving, even in hard times. This gratitude produces a trust in what God is doing now and what He will do in the future. I remember a particularly difficult time for my wife Janie and I – we were really struggling. Have you ever felt like life was falling apart around you? Janie and I decided to spend some time alone and try to write out ten things that God had done for us in the last year. At first it was difficult for me. I remember sitting down and staring at that sheet of paper and thinking, “I’ve got nothing.” But slowly, it started. Then I couldn’t stop. In just one year, God can shock you with His goodness. Whether your past year has been difficult or amazing, God is always working.

When you really start to think about all God has given you, it can easily change your perspective. Every moment, God is recreating a life for you to glorify Him. When you begin to realize what God has done, you can begin to see what He will do in the future. You recognize, sure, the future may hold difficulty, but God is going to take care of you. As the past and the future settles in, we are able to have a correct perspective on today.

Ultimately, we reach back to the cross of Christ and see the moment when God gives Himself up for our forgiveness. God’s ultimate provision on the cross should fill us with gratitude as we look forward to the reality that He is coming again. Jesus will return one day to make all things right and new again. The past of what God has done and the future of what He will do that pushes us to follow Him now.

We should not be the kind of people wandering around trying to figure out what we need to do next, but the past and the future should narrow our perspective on the present. May we spend every moment for the glory of God alone.