As we journey through our lives, society seems to insist that we should never be content, but rather that we should be always striving for something bigger and better. From an early age we are taught to push, to climb and to chase. But, this constant pushing, climbing and chasing runs in direct opposition to our Christian calling. The rhythm of the Christian life should be one of rest, gratitude and the deep contentment that comes from recognizing how God’s faithfulness is already at work in our lives. We are called to ‘grow and press forward’ (Philippians 3:13-14), but we are also called to ‘be still, and know … God’ (Psalm 46:10). Such ‘knowing’ includes recognizing how far God has already brought us.

To be constantly striving is to create an ever-widening distance between ourselves and God. To avoid this there needs to come a moment when we stop measuring our worth by future milestones. We need to stop saying, ‘I will be happy when …’, and we need to start saying, ‘Thank you, Lord, for the here and now.’ Today is a gift. The people in our lives, the prayers God has already answered and the growth we have already seen are not small things. These are the evidence of God’s grace in our lives.

When Martha was busy striving, Jesus said of Mary, who sat at his feet, ‘Mary has chosen the better part’ (Luke 10:42). The better way was not found in doing more, but in being with Jesus – in the moment, in the present. Jesus reminds Martha, and us, that peace and joy are not distant goals, but realities available when we abide in him.

So many of us are waiting for the ‘next thing’, in the hope that we will feel fulfilled. But, Christ offers joy now, and not just when the dream turns into reality – if it ever does! Joy is found in obedience today, in gratitude today, in recognizing that we are already deeply loved and fully seen.

So, how do we find ‘Joy in the Present’? 

• We need to pause and reflect, regularly taking time to look back in order that we might see how God has moved in our lives.
• We need  to practice gratitude, making thankfulness a daily discipline; not for the things we hope to receive, but for the things we already have.
• We need to celebrate small wins. whether it is forgiving someone, reading scripture more consistently, or making it through a period of uncertainty – acknowledge those ‘small wins’ because growth in Christ is always worth celebrating.
• We need to stay present with God, not rushing past the quiet moments. We must let the Spirit speak in the stillness. 
• And, we must remember that we do not need to earn God’s love because it is already ours.

We may not be where we want to be but, by God’s grace, we are not where we used to be. At some point we need to turn our backs on those societal demands for the bigger and the better in order that we might find joy in what we have achieved already; in who we have already become; and in the presence of the God who has never left our side.

Let that be enough; let it be sacred; let it be joy.