There’s a great scene from Rocky III where Rocky is training for his rematch against Clubber Lang. Rocky is sparring with Apollo Creed, but something is wrong. He’s not taking instructions from Apollo. He’s not fighting back. He’s daydreaming. Physically, he’s there. But mentally, he’s off somewhere far away.
Frustrated, Apollo shouts, “What’s the matter with you?”
In a soft voice, Rocky responds, “Tomorrow.”
This ticks Apollo off. You can see the blaze in his eyes as he moves past frustration into rage.
“There is no tomorrow,” he yells.
As the movie continues, we discover why Rocky isn’t training hard. He’s being held a prisoner of his past. Earlier in the movie, he took a really bad defeat to Clubber Lang. It humbled, embarrassed, and crippled Rocky. What if he can’t beat Clubber? What if he loses the next fight worse than the first fight? What if?
And so Rocky puts off what he needs to do today.
Tomorrow.
Does this strike a chord in your heart? Are you held prison of your past? Past failures? Have you been humbled, embarrassed, or crippled before by an event that didn’t go the way you envisioned? Are you putting off things that you need to do today for that dangerous word—tomorrow?
God warns us of placing hope in tomorrow. Proverbs 27:1 says, “Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day might bring.” Likewise, Jesus warns us to be careful of tomorrow through the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21). But, Rocky wasn’t boastful here, nor was he confident. And still, he found himself in a dangerous position because of that word—tomorrow.
No worries. The Bible gives us direction here as well. Philippians 3:13 tells us to forget or let go of the things that are behind us and reach out to what is ahead. That is, don’t let your past cripple your future.
Whether you’re overly confident in the future or deeply distraught about the past, Apollo’s words echo so much truth.
“There is no tomorrow.”
Take advantage of your right now moments. Learn from your past. Plan for your future. But start making moves today. After all, time is moving. The question is, are you?
