If we can categorize time into the past, present and future, Scripture would lead us to see the present as taking last place in importance. 1 Peter 1:3 reminds us that we have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept in heaven for [us], who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

We used to speak of the Tyranny of the Urgent. It is time for us now to also address the Tyranny of the Moment. Although backing this up statistically would be hard, my instinct is that there has never been a group of people so slavishly beholden to the moment, to the right now, as we are. Our addiction to social media and the 24-hour news cycle exerts a growing pressure to believe that what’s happening right now is the most important thing. As the great American theologians Van Halen said, “Right now, c’mon, it’s everything…right here and now, it means everything.” Consequently, there are few better ways for the church to be counter-cultural salt and light than to show the world how to stop living in the moment.

If we can categorize time into the past, present and future, Scripture would lead us to see the present as taking last place in importance. 1 Peter 1:3 reminds us that we have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept in heaven for [us], who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” For the point of this post, we could note the following truths:

• The means of our rebirth is found in the past, historical event of Jesus’ resurrection.
• The goal of our rebirth is found in the future, in our heavenly inheritance…so much so that Peter implies our salvation isn’t even fully revealed until the “last time.”
• Verse seven continues the same pattern, asserting that our trials are designed to give praise to Jesus at his “revelation.”

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