It Starts Today

By Brett Hartmann

It is easy to push things off until tomorrow. The dishes pile up in the sink. “I’ll do them tomorrow.” A paper is due in less than a week. “I’ll start that tomorrow.” You haven’t prayed in a while, but you aren’t quite in the mood. “I’ll pray tomorrow.”

Not all of us are guilty of this mindset, but it can infect our lives as Christians. I have caught myself saying that I’ll be a better Christian tomorrow. This type of attitude hampers us from living in the moment. It must start today—now.

St. Augustine had this problem. Despite his mother’s ceaseless prayers, Augustine delayed his total submission to the Christian faith. He was well-educated and skeptical of the Christian faith at first, but over time he grew to believe it. However, he was still slow in fully converting because he enjoyed living his life which was full of vice. Despite his best efforts, God sought him out, calling him to be a pastor and a great leader for the Christian faith.

In many of St. Augustine’s writings he focuses in on sound doctrine and practicing one’s faith. The two are necessary for faith. The Latin word for faith is fides. From this root we also get the English word “fidelity”. Having faith in something is more than simply believing it—more than a mental assent to a set of ideals. Having faith means believing something and practicing it. It means faith and faithfulness.

Throughout scripture God always maintains the quality of faithfulness. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew people continuously turn away from their God. They trample on God’s faithfulness. Often times we do that too.

The good news is that God, in His ultimate act of faithfulness, sent Jesus to die and rise again, defeating sin, death, and the devil. God has remained faithful, while we tend to stray and wonder from faith.

Living the Christian life is difficult. We screw up. We lapse in our prayer life. Sometimes living the Christian life seems impossible, and we simply want to give up. But it is never too late to repent—to do a 180. It is never too late to hop back on that road and give it another crack at living out our faith. It is something we must do daily. It certainly isn’t easy. Worldly prosperity won’t necessarily follow us for doing it. We may think we are missing out on certain vices, in which the world invests much stock. But those vices won’t fill us. They will always leave us lacking.

But it starts today—now! No more putting off our faith until tomorrow. We must get up, dust ourselves off, and get back on the road of faith. And while we walk, we can bask in the mercy and faithfulness of God who never abandons us.