Boast not Thyself of Tomorrow
Proverbs 27:1 says “Boast
not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”
not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”
The biggest mistake made
by mankind is dreaming what tomorrow will be like. We say, “This is the way
tomorrow is going to be,” and we picture tomorrow. However, dreams and
fantasies never include negatives. Nobody ever says, “I know what will happen
tomorrow; my mother-in-law is going to come and live with me.” Nobody ever
says, “Tomorrow the commode is going to get plugged up.” Nobody ever says,
“Tomorrow the sewer line is going to be stopped up.”
by mankind is dreaming what tomorrow will be like. We say, “This is the way
tomorrow is going to be,” and we picture tomorrow. However, dreams and
fantasies never include negatives. Nobody ever says, “I know what will happen
tomorrow; my mother-in-law is going to come and live with me.” Nobody ever
says, “Tomorrow the commode is going to get plugged up.” Nobody ever says,
“Tomorrow the sewer line is going to be stopped up.”
Dreams and fantasies
do not include negatives, but the reality always brings negatives; that is what
makes it reality. A young lady says, “I’m looking for the man of my dreams.” He
just does not exist. The reality your dreamboat will bring with him includes
bad breath in the morning and stinking feet in the evening. Young man, the
woman of your dreams does not exist. In those dreams and in those fantasies,
there are no negatives; that is what makes them dreams or fantasies.
do not include negatives, but the reality always brings negatives; that is what
makes it reality. A young lady says, “I’m looking for the man of my dreams.” He
just does not exist. The reality your dreamboat will bring with him includes
bad breath in the morning and stinking feet in the evening. Young man, the
woman of your dreams does not exist. In those dreams and in those fantasies,
there are no negatives; that is what makes them dreams or fantasies.
We place our dream
of tomorrow on one side and the reality of tomorrow with its negatives on the
other side; then we compare them. The dreams without the negatives overshadow
reality, and we become unhappy, depressed, and melancholy. The fantasy
without its negatives compared to the reality with its negatives discourages us.
of tomorrow on one side and the reality of tomorrow with its negatives on the
other side; then we compare them. The dreams without the negatives overshadow
reality, and we become unhappy, depressed, and melancholy. The fantasy
without its negatives compared to the reality with its negatives discourages us.
A young lady
planning for her marriage says, “This is the way it will be.” She cannot wait
to get married to that big bruiser. She fantasizes about the way her marriage
will be. When marriage comes, she puts
the reality on one side and the fantasy on the other side, and they do not
match. Thus, she becomes disenchanted with her husband and with her marriage.
She does not blame her fantasy; she blames her husband for not fulfilling her
fantasy. She says, “This is the way it will be!” However, fantasies do not
include bad breath, stinking feet, bouncing checks, a mother-in-law, car
payments, and a temper.
planning for her marriage says, “This is the way it will be.” She cannot wait
to get married to that big bruiser. She fantasizes about the way her marriage
will be. When marriage comes, she puts
the reality on one side and the fantasy on the other side, and they do not
match. Thus, she becomes disenchanted with her husband and with her marriage.
She does not blame her fantasy; she blames her husband for not fulfilling her
fantasy. She says, “This is the way it will be!” However, fantasies do not
include bad breath, stinking feet, bouncing checks, a mother-in-law, car
payments, and a temper.
Fantasies do not
include being pregnant every nine months for four years. Fantasies do not
include ten sick babies, a lost job, a Ford car, cut-off notices from the
electric company, eviction notices, and layoff notices. Reality has no chance
to measure up to fantasy.
include being pregnant every nine months for four years. Fantasies do not
include ten sick babies, a lost job, a Ford car, cut-off notices from the
electric company, eviction notices, and layoff notices. Reality has no chance
to measure up to fantasy.
Someone said, “All
of my dreams have crumbled.” It is time to quit dreaming and go to work. Listen
carefully, you cannot see tomorrow; but you can see today. Today can never
compare to tomorrow because tomorrow never reveals her negatives, while today
shouts out her negatives.
of my dreams have crumbled.” It is time to quit dreaming and go to work. Listen
carefully, you cannot see tomorrow; but you can see today. Today can never
compare to tomorrow because tomorrow never reveals her negatives, while today
shouts out her negatives.
You cannot see
tomorrow. You can visualize tomorrow. A young preacher goes to pastor his
first church, and he dreams of the way it will be; but his dreams do not
include deacons. Deacons are a reality. So he puts reality on one side and his
dreams on the other side, and they do not match. Why? Because tomorrow forgot
to announce her negatives, and so tomorrow did not match today. His dreams had
no negatives, but reality brought negatives, and so the young preacher is
unhappy.
tomorrow. You can visualize tomorrow. A young preacher goes to pastor his
first church, and he dreams of the way it will be; but his dreams do not
include deacons. Deacons are a reality. So he puts reality on one side and his
dreams on the other side, and they do not match. Why? Because tomorrow forgot
to announce her negatives, and so tomorrow did not match today. His dreams had
no negatives, but reality brought negatives, and so the young preacher is
unhappy.
A church lists all
the things they want in a new preacher. Then they call a preacher and compare
him to what they thought they would get, and they are disappointed. Why? The
church becomes disenchanted with the new pastor because dreams never can be
matched by realities.
the things they want in a new preacher. Then they call a preacher and compare
him to what they thought they would get, and they are disappointed. Why? The
church becomes disenchanted with the new pastor because dreams never can be
matched by realities.
The little lady
looks forward to marriage, and she says, “This is the way it is going to be.”
“I cannot wait,” she says. She puts her dream on one side, and then she is
married and finds out that her husband cannot measure up to her dreams.
However, there is a fellow at work that does, or so she thinks. The man at work
always measures up to fantasies because she does not smell his breath in the
morning and his feet in the evening. She says “Wow, now I have found the man
that can match my dreams.” So she divorces man number one and marries man
number two. She brings number two home. After awhile, she finds out that his breath
smells in the morning and his feet stink at night. She measures him at home to
her dream, and he also fails the test, just like man number one did.
looks forward to marriage, and she says, “This is the way it is going to be.”
“I cannot wait,” she says. She puts her dream on one side, and then she is
married and finds out that her husband cannot measure up to her dreams.
However, there is a fellow at work that does, or so she thinks. The man at work
always measures up to fantasies because she does not smell his breath in the
morning and his feet in the evening. She says “Wow, now I have found the man
that can match my dreams.” So she divorces man number one and marries man
number two. She brings number two home. After awhile, she finds out that his breath
smells in the morning and his feet stink at night. She measures him at home to
her dream, and he also fails the test, just like man number one did.
“Oh, but there’s a
fellow in the bowling league that measures up to my dreams,” she says, and the
process starts all over again. They always measure up at a distance. So here
comes candidate number three, and his breath stinks in the morning and his feet
stink in the evening, and he likewise does not measure up to her dream.
fellow in the bowling league that measures up to my dreams,” she says, and the
process starts all over again. They always measure up at a distance. So here
comes candidate number three, and his breath stinks in the morning and his feet
stink in the evening, and he likewise does not measure up to her dream.
It is the same
process for a preacher who goes to church number one, and reality does not
measure up to his dream. So he goes to another church. What happens? The new
church says, “This is what we want in a pastor. We think we have found the
right man.” The young pastor says, “This is what I want, and I think I’ve found
it.” So they both get together, and neither of their dreams matches their
realities. Now you have an all-out war.
process for a preacher who goes to church number one, and reality does not
measure up to his dream. So he goes to another church. What happens? The new
church says, “This is what we want in a pastor. We think we have found the
right man.” The young pastor says, “This is what I want, and I think I’ve found
it.” So they both get together, and neither of their dreams matches their
realities. Now you have an all-out war.
A preacher who stays
two years and then moves will do it again. A church that fires a pastor in two
years will do it again. What is the problem? The dream has no negatives. The
reality has negatives. When the two are compared, disenchantment occurs. They
are trying to find the elusive fulfillment of their dreams. There is no way
that reality can equal a dream. Too many contrast the greenness of the
grass on the other side of the fence to the brownness of the grass on this side
of the fence. So, you say, “There must be something better out there, because
it is so bad here.”
two years and then moves will do it again. A church that fires a pastor in two
years will do it again. What is the problem? The dream has no negatives. The
reality has negatives. When the two are compared, disenchantment occurs. They
are trying to find the elusive fulfillment of their dreams. There is no way
that reality can equal a dream. Too many contrast the greenness of the
grass on the other side of the fence to the brownness of the grass on this side
of the fence. So, you say, “There must be something better out there, because
it is so bad here.”
The Unknown Cannot Compare With the Known
When a preacher
never becomes comfortable anywhere, he is creating an appetite that will ruin
him. He never becomes comfortable in a church, a job, or a house. He always
feels that there is something he is supposed to be doing that he is not doing now.
You cannot see tomorrow. You are making the mistake of your life by attempting
to figure out what tomorrow will be like. You let God take care of tomorrow and
today. There is no way to compare fantasy with reality; you cannot compare the
unknown with the known.
never becomes comfortable anywhere, he is creating an appetite that will ruin
him. He never becomes comfortable in a church, a job, or a house. He always
feels that there is something he is supposed to be doing that he is not doing now.
You cannot see tomorrow. You are making the mistake of your life by attempting
to figure out what tomorrow will be like. You let God take care of tomorrow and
today. There is no way to compare fantasy with reality; you cannot compare the
unknown with the known.
The Future Cannot Compare With the
Present
Your happiness is in
direct proportion to your satisfaction of yesterday’s hope. Whatever you hoped
yesterday, the fulfillment or non-fulfillment of that hope today will make you
happy or unhappy. What are your hopes for tomorrow? I would give a simplistic
answer of “I plan to serve God.”
direct proportion to your satisfaction of yesterday’s hope. Whatever you hoped
yesterday, the fulfillment or non-fulfillment of that hope today will make you
happy or unhappy. What are your hopes for tomorrow? I would give a simplistic
answer of “I plan to serve God.”
Look Back For Your Happiness and
Forward for Your Hope
My happiness is not
based on what I believe, but on what I believed. My salvation, marriage, call
to the ministry, church I pastored, children I have, grandchildren great grandchildren I have,
converts I have, etc. All give me happiness because they are reality, not
fantasy. My hope is to see Jesus coming back for us at the rapture, the hope
of Heaven, the hope of a glorified body, and the hope of eternity.
based on what I believe, but on what I believed. My salvation, marriage, call
to the ministry, church I pastored, children I have, grandchildren great grandchildren I have,
converts I have, etc. All give me happiness because they are reality, not
fantasy. My hope is to see Jesus coming back for us at the rapture, the hope
of Heaven, the hope of a glorified body, and the hope of eternity.
Do Not Compare Today to Yesterday
Every day is an adventure
in your service for God. Every year provides its own built-in challenges. God
has given us the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to help us and guide us through
these uncharted waters. I dare not compare today to yesterday.
in your service for God. Every year provides its own built-in challenges. God
has given us the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to help us and guide us through
these uncharted waters. I dare not compare today to yesterday.