Video Transcript: Phrase Four

All right, we're back with the Serenity Prayer. And we are going to look at a  phrase four, living one day at a time enjoying one moment at a time. It's  interesting, the Lord's Prayer, Matthew 6:11, give us today our daily bread, give  us today, our daily bread. From the Serenity Prayer living one day at a time,  enjoying one moment at a time. It was interesting that this whole daily bread  thing started in the Old Testament, when the people came out of Egypt. And they were in the desert, they had no food, and they complained, and God sent  manna, but they could only gather enough manna for the day. They couldn't like  you know, work really hard on Monday and then take the rest of the week off.  The only exception was just before the Sabbath. They can get two days worth  so they wouldn't have to work on the Sabbath. But you know, why was that?  What's What's this business about? Daily? I think it was about daily trusting  God, see, if you can gather enough bread for the entire year, you can do all the  work once. And now you don't have to think about God for an entire year  because you have all that you want. Now, obviously, you don't have all that you  want. And obviously everything comes from God. But that idea that this little  subtle reminder that there that every good thing comes from God, even even the things that we work hard for, it still ultimately comes from God. So this idea of  living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, James 4:13-14 Now  listen, you who say today or tomorrow, we will go to this or that city, spend a  year there carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know  what will happen tomorrow. Okay, so I think we live in a world of planning.  Everyone likes to plan. And it's easier to plan than, say 1000 years ago, we have more regular things that happen and you can plan. And we like the security of  that. I, you know, one of the greatest needs that people have is the need for  security. And when we plan into our future, we have this sense that we have  things under control. Of course we never do. We make we make our plans in the future but doesn't always turn out that way. But that planning thing sort of gives  us a sense that maybe we have certain things under control. But then we miss  God's blessings in the moment. Instead of having everything so planned out  what what might God wants to bless you with in this day? Instead of thinking  that, that everything is in the future? The all the good things are in the future.  What about today? This is the actual moment that you have, you don't have the  future. And you don't have the past the past is gone. The future is not yet what  you have is right now. And I think the people often miss the now. This is the day  that you have with your spouse, what are you going to do to make it better? This is the day that you could say the things that you should say to your kids. Instead of thinking one day I'm going to have this nice little talk with my child about life  about God, no, why not today? Take the opportunity today to do something that  friend that sort of doesn't know God, call them up today. Why not today? That's  not some time in the future. You know, someday, you know, I'm really going to  work on my marriage. No. Today, do something about your marriage. Make a 

decision that you're going to do something today living one day at a time  enjoying one moment at a time God gives us this day for us to enjoy  Ecclesiastes 8:15 So I commend the enjoyment of life because there's nothing  better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and to be glad. Then joy  will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life. God has given them  under the sun. The Book of Ecclesiastes is often kind of, well depressing, I  guess. It looks at life, from the perspective of well, what if there was no God?  What if there was no purpose, or meaning, and yet, in the middle of all that sort  of philosophic talk, is this idea of enjoying life, that God actually wants us to  enjoy our lives, that God wants us to experience, joy, in our life, in our  relationships, in our marriage, in our families, in our church. And often we miss  it. Because we're not looking for it, or we don't. We, we don't, you know, a lot of  times we can think of life as life is this thing that we have to do. We have to  accomplish this, we have to make this happen. And then we're frustrated  because these things aren't happening in the timing, and you know, in the order,  or the fulfillment that we want. We miss out on the simple joys. The joy of just  getting out of bed, the joy of seeing the sun, the joy of saying good morning to  someone that you love, the joy of going to work and having something to do.  And with people that know you and call you by name. The joy of being part of a  church community, where you can sing praises to God. Isn't everything perfect  at your church. Is your pastor perfect? Are you perfect? No. Grab hold of the joy  around you. Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life. Can  any one of you by worrying at a single hour to your life? okay, so instead of joy,  we end up worrying away our lives. We think of all the bad things that could  possibly happen and we miss the good things that are happening right around  us. As you leave this you know this little talk. I don't know what you're gonna do,  maybe it's morning, maybe it's night. I don't know what it is. But can you can you do something. Step outside. Maybe it's night, step outside and look at the stars,  or the moon or the clouds or feel the wind against your cheek or if it's in the day.  Go to someone in your house, go ask them how they're doing. Ask them, you  know, you know what's the best part of your day so far? Something that gives  you a spark of the joy that God wants for you