Making your bed is a simple task that sets the tone for the rest of day. Are you going to cut corners doing only the bare minimum, or are you going to do things to the best of your ability? When I look at my made up bed, it sparks joy as it’s a subtle reminder that I chose to do things right that day.

Let’s take a moment to consider why people choose to cut corners in the first place. One might assume it’s because people are just lazy, but it’s actually deeper than that. People who cut corners are the ones who have yet to master the art of being present; they cut corners in order to arrive more quickly to a particular destination.

So many of us are set on autopilot. So many of us go through the motions of the day just so we can come home, unplug, and get back to our beds and sleep. The truth is, though, life is so much less appealing, less exciting, less rewarding when we live for a destination instead of being present.

How many of us are cutting corners when it comes down to our walk with the Lord? How many of us just want the free gift of salvation and only care about whether or not we will ultimately get to Heaven? If we look at God as merely our ticket to Heaven, we are missing out on having a relationship with Him in the present moment. We are missing out on the Heaven we could be having with Him right now! Our relationship with God isn’t about a destination; it’s about now.

Have you ever asked yourself how you can be “more present”? Start by treating yourself like you are an honored guest. Romanticize the heck out of your life! Light those expensive candles you’ve been saving for special occasions. Wear the cute outfits even when no one is going to see you. Make your bed even when you know you’re just going to get back in it at the end of the day.

I’m reminded of two of my most favorite movies of all time—Home Alone and it’s sequel “Lost in New York”. I remember a particular scene depicting a young and wise Kevin McCalister giving some of the most profound advice I have heard from any movie to this day. Kevin begins to talk about a past Christmas when he received a pair of rollerblades. He loved the rollerblades so much, he was afraid to even take them out of the box. Eventually, he outgrew them before ever getting a chance to use them. He then relates this past experience to his friend who was afraid of letting anyone near her heart.

“What is the point of having a heart if you aren’t going to use it?” Kevin asked.

I want to challenge you to ask yourself. What is the point of salvation if you aren’t going to use it—use it to bring glory back to God? What’s the point of going to Heaven to spend eternity with a God you never even knew while you were here on Earth? With a God you didn’t love enough to diligently seek?Those that truly love the Lord want Him now. If you don’t truly love the Lord, then why would you want to go to Heaven and spend eternity with Him?

Tomorrow morning when you roll out of bed, I want to encourage you to take a moment and realize that bed is more than simply the place where you will later sleep. Your bed is only used for sleeping about 30% of the day. When we stop seeing our beds as merely a destination and instead as a fixture in our bedrooms, we will be more likely to make them.

Likewise, we must stop seeing Heaven as a destination but as the evolution of our walk with Christ. God isn’t just in Heaven, He is right here with us, walking beside us.

I hope this encourages someone out there to become more present, to stop cutting corners in order to get to where you would rather be, to seek God now, and of course, make your bed!