Make Today a Masterpiece

Lately it seems like time is accelerating and moving faster. In the fall, it often feels like time is slowing down, but this is a time of year where time seems to move faster. The concept of time being able to speed up and slow down is a key element of what we teach in the Time Blueprint. 

The key to thriving during accelerated time is what I call the 4 P's...Praying, Playing, Praising, and People. Last week God reminded me of an event we used to host at my gym called Play Like a Kid Again Day. During this day we played games like dodgeball, hopscotch, and double dutch jumprope. When was the last time you truly played like a kid?

Jesus said kids hold many of the secrets to the kingdom of God. Playing like a kid and having fun is a key to accelerating results and making today a masterpiece. 

The Importance of Today

Legendary basketball coach John Wooden used to have a rule he lived by, which was to make every day a masterpiece. The concept of winning each day and making the most of the opportunities of today are vital to stay on track for the long haul. We can know the vision and direction of where we want to go but until we bring it down practically into today, there is no traction. Consider some of these Bible verses... This is the day the Lord has made, today is the day of salvation, today is the day of God's favor, and as long as it is called today encourage one another. 

What is a masterpiece?

A masterpiece was something that artists used to prove mastery of their craft. We are God's handiwork and I believe he wants to teach and empower us to make today a masterpiece, but to do this we must become masterful at life. 

Today Starts in Evening

If we are going to make today a masterpiece then we first need a definition of what today is. In the Jewish culture the official start of a day is in the evening at sunset. For example, a day would be 6pm to 6pm. They do it this way because in the book of Genesis God said there was evening and then morning, with the evening coming first. It makes a big difference to think of the start of a day happening in the evening. 

2 Keys to a Masterful Day

I think there are two big keys to a masterful day...

1. What you are doing
2. How you are doing it - the attitude behind it. 

Writing What You Want

Lately we have been talking about the concept of writing what you want in life. Jesus says that we can ask for anything in his name. But how do we know what to ask for? In the movies when people have wishes from a genie or from some other source they usually waste a bunch of wishes on material things and their lives only get worse.

As I began to seek God on what to ask for the answer I received was that God has written a book about each of our lives. Jesus said he came to do what was written about him in God's book and David said that all the days of his life were already written about in God's book. After this insight, what I now ask for and want each day is to be doing what God wrote about in his book for me according to his purpose and grace given in Christ Jesus before time began. And I want to be doing it with peace, joy, presence, and grace. 

Whatever God wrote about in your book has grace attached to it in order to equip and empower with God's strength rather than own own. 

What To Do

The next question you may ask is... how do I know what I am supposed to be doing each day? The answer to that is to seek and then you will find. What I like to do is write out my prayer each night saying that I want to be doing what God wants me to be doing according to his purpose and grace given to me in Christ Jesus. Then I sit still and listen for a couple of minutes and start writing down whatever I know to do. 

What do you know to do? Whatever the answer is... do that. What do you know to do in your purpose, health, family, finances, order, time, and community. If there is something that keeps popping up in your mind such as pay a bill, renew a certification, start eating better, start exercising, be more present with your family, etc start taking action today. 

If there are projects you know God has prompted you to start or things stirring on the inside of you how can you get started today? Is there one step you know to do? 

This can be very simple. Do what you know to do. When you are doing what God wrote about for you there will be a sense of peace and also a sense that grace is flowing empowering you to get it done. 

How you show up matters

When you wake up the next morning do so with gratitude and the excitement and expectation of a kid on Christmas morning. Then as you go about your day have fun. Joy is your indicator that grace is flowing, because joy is an indicator of God's presence there equipping you.

Opportunities and Traps

Each day has hidden in it both opportunities and traps. I once heard a teaching by Bruce Wilkinson about asking God to send you people each day that you could help. Then his recommendation was to simply strike up a conversation with whoever is around. God sends so many opportunities our way each day but we often miss them because we are distracted doing other things. By doing what we know to do and being present we can better be aware of opportunities. Another key is being flexible because the day will never unfold exactly as you planned. Be open to new opportunities.

Each day also has traps that can derail your whole day. Someone could offend you, send a nasty email, give you bad news, or someone could cut you off in traffic. Decide now that if something negative tries to derail your day you are going to handle it with poise and grace. You are going to handle it with the confident expectation that all is well, and God is going to work everything for your good and cause you to triumph. This is our indicator that we are trusting God. 

Another big trap is doing too much. Make sure whatever you do on this masterpiece of a day you take a gentler approach that sets you up for success the next day. We often try to force things in our own strength. But by taking a gentler approach we tap into the grace that is there to equip and empower us to do what is in God's book. A sense of ease, joy, and flow should be there. 

Recapping the Day

At the end of the day recap how things went. What did you hear from God today? What did you learn? Did you do what you knew to do in your purpose, health, family, finances, order, time, and community? What unexpected opportunities or traps were in the day? What adjustments could you make tomorrow? 

Rinse and repeat

Make today a masterpiece, then the next day, and then the next and I believe it will lead to a beautiful life.