Without being trite - we are over a month into the New Year, and I’ve
been unusually focused on my expectations for 2014. To do so is to walk a fine line between faith
and forethought. Somehow we have been conditioned to believe
that we cannot have both.
And yet, both
are required.
Proverbs 4:25 says, "Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before
you." (Proverbs 4:25). Our sight and
our gaze should be focused on the path ahead, both to watch where we are going and
to show unswerving determination to our task. (Lennox, S. J. (1998). Proverbs: a Bible commentary in the Wesleyan
tradition (p. 62). Indianapolis, IN:
Wesleyan Publishing House)
One of the challenges we face concerning our future is to
know where we are going. Obviously faith
plays a large role in this, yet we are also encouraged to use sound judgment
and wisdom. A wise course develops from
careful forethought. So I began to ask
myself, “Where am I going?” And in order to answer
that question, we have to talk about change.
When did we become so resistant to change by the way?
Instead of addressing where we are now, let’s begin to talk
about where we want to go and what we want to be. Once we get a clear picture
of our preferred future, our behavior will change. That’s what knowing where you are headed
does. It allows us to see where we are
in relation to where we need to be.
Focusing on the past and telling me I need to be different is not
convincing. But point me toward my
preferred future and help me discover what I need to do in order to get
there…now I am inspired.
So the best place to begin any conversation about change is to
know where you are headed. What
could be? What should be? What must be! And by painting a compelling picture of where
we could be, we’ll become discontented enough with where we are to change. (Stanley,
Andy (2012-09-25). Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to
Attend (pp. 271-272). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)
The challenge is to know where you are headed.
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