Bible Text: Deuteronomy 11:26-28 | Speaker: Dr. Harold J. Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living | See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse–the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you… turn from the way that I command you… Deuteronomy 11:26-28

Spenser Johnson is a man with an M.D. behind his name from the Royal College of Surgeons, but Dr. Johnson has attained far more success through his homey but pointed little books, including the One Minute Manager and Who Moved My Cheese? He helps people keep their focus, something that is not an easy task in a world of multitasking and greater responsibilities every year.

In his little book, The Present, he tells a simple story of an old man and a boy who grew closer together as the lad approached adulthood. The old man talks about The Present—as though it was a particular kind of gift. But the lad didn’t really understand what The Present was all about. Then, over a period of time, he discovered that “The Present” is a kind of gift. It is the understanding that living in the present is taking full advantage of the moment. In simple terms the present is now! And what’s so impressive about that? Pretty simple, you say; but the reality is that most people do not live in the present because they make two major mistakes that keep them from succeeding. Mistake #1 –they are living in the past, replaying the game tape in their mind, thinking about the mistakes they made, the opportunities they missed, or the glorious things they used to do. (You know the fish story gets longer and more protracted the more times it is told. Or another version is, “The older I get, the better I was). Of course!

Mistake #2 is that people miss the present because they are focused on the future, planning for tomorrow, thinking about the big time which has eluded them so far, the knight in shining armor who is going to sweep into her life and relieve her of the drudgery of clerking in a smoke-filled office, or meeting the woman who is such a knockout that your heart will leap within you. Tomorrow. Forget today, let’s just get through it awaiting the big one that is still out there.

Want to know how to avoid both of those mistakes? In the couple of moments that remain, here’s how to capture today. First-get paper and pencil and write down the most important tasks that confront you today. No, don’t worry about next week or next month. Focus simply on the 24 hours that lie ahead of you.

Now here’s where you narrow your scope and interest. Prioritize your list of what’s important today. No, you can’t do everything. You aren’t Superman or Superwoman. You don’t walk on water and you can only do one thing at a time, so you have to decide. Remember, a parade of just two cars can’t happen until you decide which one goes first. Streets are too narrow; so are the time constraints of our lives.

Finally–and this puts you into business. Three words: focus, focus, focus. Why three reminders? You get easily distracted, interrupted, annoyed and forgetful. The flip side of focus is to eliminate as many of the distractions and interruptions as you possibly can.

Multitasking is great! No, it is an evil that keeps you from doing what is most important. It is a distraction that prevents you from succeeding in the present and the now of your life.

A final thought: Today is the only day that is yours! Yesterday is past and tomorrow has not come. Today is the day filled with God, His love for you, His purpose for you and His help! Yes, there is forgiveness for the past if you seek it, and hope for tomorrow, but the only division of eternity that is in your grasp is from the rising of the sun one day to the rising of the sun the next day. Today is yours. Seize today!

Resource reading: Philippians 4