Tomorrow? Are you sure?

“Boast not thyself of tomorrow;
for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov 27:1).

If I were to ask you, “What are you doing tomorrow?” you would probably be quick to tell me about school, maybe games, maybe a family activity, or something else that you’re planning on doing. And I’m pretty sure you would say, “Tomorrow I will do. . . .”
We ought not boast about tomorrow, because we are simply not in control of tomorrow’s events! If we think for just a few minutes about all the things that could go wrong (or right!) between now and tomorrow, we have to say there is simply no way for us to say for sure that we know what will happen in 24 hours. The reality (that we would surely all admit) is we don’t know if we will even be alive tomorrow, much less in any shape to do those things! We sometimes fall unwittingly into a self-centered pride that thinks we will be able to do what we want, how we want, and whenever we want to do it. Think about it: when we say, “This is what I will do,” we are setting ourselves above God. Instead of this kind of pride, we ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (Jas 4:15). This reminds us that God is in charge of every aspect of our lives—not us. When we are continually acknowledging that God is sovereign, we are also admitting that we are his subjects.
When you were little, everything you did had to be checked by your parents. Can I go upstairs and play? Can I go outside and play? Can I wear this or that? We were not in control of life! Now, just a few years later, we think that because we can pick out our friends and choose our the color of our notebook we are in control of life. This is pride, plain and simple. Humble yourself before God and acknowledge his sovereign control of all things.

Who's #1?

Oftentimes, we claim that our team is “number one.” It’s the best team, and we plan to come in first place! But who is really #1 in your life? Well, for many young people, friends are number one. How so? Well, if everything you do has to be checked with them to make sure it’s okay, or your day is ruined if your friend doesn’t like you, maybe your friends are #1. Perhaps you are your own #1. In other words, it’s all about you. If things don’t go your way, your family and friends know to watch out! If you’re not the center of attention, then you don’t want to have anything to do with it. If that’s you, then you are #1 in your life.
Jesus, summarizing all of God’s laws in the Old Testament, said that God should be #1 for us. He said, “Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30). According to Jesus, putting God first should consume our passion, life, thoughts, and strength. Every single thing we do should be done in obedience to God and for his glory (1 Cor 10:31).
This fall we are going to study the topic, “Living a Christ-Centered Life in a Self-Centered World.” All of us are selfish people. We love ourselves and desire to be first in everything we do. We want other people to like us. We want to do what we like to do. We want to feel good and be comfortable. But Jesus said that we must put God first in all things. He ought to be #1 in our lives. He should be the One we are most concerned with pleasing. He should be what we put our time and energy into.
As we get back into the TAC mindset this fall, think about this question: who or what is #1 in your life? What is most important? What could you simply not live without? Is God #1 in your life?