The idea of “carpe diem!” (seize the day) is used mainly with non-religious implications. If life gives you lemons, they say, make lemonade. (Try not to inquire about what to do if life gives you AIDS or unjust imprisonment or fill in the blank…)
But the idea is simple enough and can be redeemed by the Christian: When God has you in a situation, you’re there for a reason. We often will put up blinders and look ahead to our future hopes and dreams. Or, we will look ahead to the resolution of some stressor in our lives. This is fine – we need to have hope and we need to work towards resolutions in life.
But, we must remember that ministry is going on all around us, 24/7. If you are one step away from having everything you currently hope for, then ask yourself “Why”?
I am currently (along with my wife) anxiously awaiting a pastoral position to open up in the place God wants us to be. Until then, we have myriad unknowns to work through: Where will we live until then? What should we do for jobs until then? Should we try to start a family now or later?
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
But the temptation for us is to look ahead to the future when things fall more into place. We’ve got to spend our time and emotional energies on the ministry we are involved in at the moment: Marriage, our church, bible study, and the community we live in. There will always be a hoped-for tomorrow, but yesterday will only ever be a memory. The most literal meaning of “carpe diem” is actually “harvest the day”, which is a wonderful metaphor for the Christian calling.
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. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. – James 4:13-14
