I was reading an article in the most recent issues of Fast Company magazine and it talked about the way most Americans have more self control when they talk about the future. I’ll start my diet next week…I’ll begin saving for retirement next year…and on and on.
What makes us so confident about tomorrow? We don’t want to cut into what we are already getting, so we thing the future will be much better than what we are experiencing now. In money terms, we don’t want to live on less than we have now, so when I get that raise next year, I will start saving some of that money. The article talked about a new savings program employers are now using called “Save More Tomorrow” where you commit now (while your confident about tomorrow) that you will save a portion of your future raises. This way, you get to have your cake and eat it too, you don’t have to take a cut in your pay and you start saving.
Are Americans confident about the future for everything and put aside the present? What makes us nervous about committing now? In Matthew 8: 21-22 When a young man asked Jesus if he could go bury his father before he left, Jesus told him to just come on and let the dead take care of the dead. The young disciple was confident that he would be able to serve Jesus, just not right now – there were other more important things to do.
How do we get over the “more important things” and focus on Jesus today?