“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” Psalms 105:4 NIV

 Are you a Star Wars fan? No? Well, let me intrigue you and you might become one.

There’s a scene in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Yep! I am a Star Wars fan!) where Yoda, the Jedi Master, is deciding whether or not to train Luke Skywalker and chides him for a mindset that will prevent him from becoming the Jedi knight that he wants to be.

Yoda says, “A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away...to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing.” (“8 Creat Life Teachings from Yoda” StaWars.com accessed 10/12/23) Because Luke was always looking ahead, Yoda knew he would not be present in the process. Unless Luke committed to be present in the process, his progress would be limited. Did you catch that? Luke’s tendency to be far ahead in his mind, imagining what he wanted to be doing and where he wanted to be, would keep him from being fully present in the very thing that would get him there, his training. As training begins, Yoda’s concerns prove to be correct.

What about you? Are you fully present right here and right now? Your dreams of where you want to be are important. They can motivate you. They can inspire you. But they can also distract you. If you are always in the future in your brain, but not present in the present you will miss the presents that are waiting for you here and now.

God has gifts for you in the present. There are lessons in the process that are preparing you for the future you imagine. The lessons you learn now are going to help you be the person you want to be. They are going to increase your impact and allow you to help more people. Isn’t that the ultimate goal of becoming the best you? Improving your life so that you can improve the lives of the people around you? Isn’t that what fulfilling your divine potential and the purpose you were created for is about? Isn’t that the more you are longing for?

When you become your best, when you fulfill your divine potential, when you become all that God designed you to be, then, not only will your life be better, but you will make the lives of the people you love better and influence the lives of everyone you touch for the better.  Luke Skywalker wanted to become a Jedi knight so that he could help his friends and further the cause of the Rebellion against the evil Empire. He wanted to do good things in his world to help the people and cause he cared most about. That’s what you want, too, right? But because Luke was not present in the process, he was limiting his impact and his potential.

If you know Star Wars at all, then you know that even though Luke struggled he was still able to make a positive impact and help his friends. So, yeah, it turned out alright in the end. But what if he had been more focused in his training while Yoda was working with him? What if he had given his energy to being where he was and learning all he could learn so that he could accomplish his goal with power and confidence? What might that have looked like? I know, it would be a totally different story than George Lucas wrote, but just take a minute to imagine the possibilities.

Now back to you, my friend. Like Luke Skywalker, is your mind always somewhere else doing the thing you most want to do, but are unprepared for? What if you made the decision to be present in the process right here and right now? What if you set your mind to receive all that God has for you in what seems to be a slow-down?

I am in one of those right now. I’d really like to be further along in an area of expertise, but I am not there yet. I haven’t learned all that I need to learn yet. I haven’t perfected the skills I need yet. I can see the future. I can imagine what my life can be like and the impact I can have on those around me. But…I want to be present in the process now as I learn and wait and let God put everything in order so that, at the right time, when I am ready, I can soar to new heights in the very place I want to be having the influence I want to have. Sure, my life will be better, but oh, the impact I long to have on the people around me! I want to help people to take the next steps on their own journey toward fulfilling their purpose and potential. I want to be all that I can be for my own good and God’s glory and I want to help others do the same.

That is the future I see, but in order to get there I will need to be present in the process. Are you ready? Be right here, right now and then in the future, you will be the best you.

Key Question: Are you present in the process?

A Scripture to Consider: “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” Psalms 105:4 NIV

A YES Challenge: Where do you imagine yourself in that future? What gifts might be in the present to help prepare you for that? Take some time to examine how what you are learning right now could be preparing you for the future you envision.

Prayer: Lord, I don’t want the future to damage my present. Just like I don’t want the past to damage my present. Those dreams and goals that I envision are gifts from You. I am excited to work toward them, but I don’t want to miss what You are doing right now. Help me to be present in the process of becoming so that I can do all that You have for me in the future and so that I can become the best me, the me You created me to be. Amen.