Life has a way of making you revisit your priorities and perspective on things. As Pastor Steve Kelly of the Wave Church has often said, "It is not about where we've been, but it is about where we're going." Too often we get caught up in the affairs of daily living and forget about the plan and purpose God has ordained. This loss of the big picture can leave us feeling like we are treading water.
Let me be clear, we need to keep the present in focus, the past in perspective, and the future in clear view to stay on track in our adventures in God.
Let me be clear, we need to keep the present in focus, the past in perspective, and the future in clear view to stay on track in our adventures in God.
12–14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.15–16 So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it. - The Message : The Bible in contemporary language (Philippians 3:12-16).
Our past is an important part of who we are, after all, it is what got us here. But the past can be either an anchor or a launchpad, and that is up to you. If you are constantly rehearsing past events, bitter over past hurts, or only able to revel over past victories, the past is your anchor. If, however, you look to the past for the testimony to the faithfulness of God, are spurred to compassion in the lives of others because of the hurt you have experienced, or take comfort from the blessings God has poured out on you knowing that it pales in comparison to what He has ahead of you, then the past can be your launchpad. It is your choice. Choose well. Choose life!
Our present can often be a distraction to mire us in cares and worries and deter our destiny. Bills, health problems, relationship issues, and such can steal our time, our motivation, and our resources. Whether it is nagging, chronic problems, looming, major challenges, or just the test of the mundane, we must not allow ourselves the luxury of getting caught up and entangled in the things that will deter our destiny. We can do anything, with the help of the Holy Ghost. Let's commit ourselves to living in such a way that the Father is proud to call us His children, focused and driven by His agenda, His dreams, and His plan for our lives.
Above all, we must never loose sight of the very reason for our being here in the first place - intimate, personal fellowship with the Father. No matter what our vision or dream, it is only as we are in all out pursuit of the Father that we will find fulfillment and satisfaction. No amount of money is enough to bring that, no amount of possessions, no career path, and certainly no earthly relationship apart from Christ can offer what it is that makes us feel like life is worth living in the long run. It is the hope that is before us, that we can have this relationship here and now and grow into an ever deepening, ever increasing, ever intensifying relationship with the Father that gives us hope for the future and a reason for getting up in the morning.
With the Father is all that we need. He has promised us abundant life. It is up to us to pursue Him with all that we are, shedding the things that hinder us along the way, and, as Paul so aptly says, "press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Run! Run like you have never run before! Run, and with every step know that around the next bend is a blessing waiting, over the next hill He has prepared a rest for you, and at the end is a prize that will cause all of the run to fade into the mist of the past as we revel in the reward of our destiny.
Our present can often be a distraction to mire us in cares and worries and deter our destiny. Bills, health problems, relationship issues, and such can steal our time, our motivation, and our resources. Whether it is nagging, chronic problems, looming, major challenges, or just the test of the mundane, we must not allow ourselves the luxury of getting caught up and entangled in the things that will deter our destiny. We can do anything, with the help of the Holy Ghost. Let's commit ourselves to living in such a way that the Father is proud to call us His children, focused and driven by His agenda, His dreams, and His plan for our lives.
Above all, we must never loose sight of the very reason for our being here in the first place - intimate, personal fellowship with the Father. No matter what our vision or dream, it is only as we are in all out pursuit of the Father that we will find fulfillment and satisfaction. No amount of money is enough to bring that, no amount of possessions, no career path, and certainly no earthly relationship apart from Christ can offer what it is that makes us feel like life is worth living in the long run. It is the hope that is before us, that we can have this relationship here and now and grow into an ever deepening, ever increasing, ever intensifying relationship with the Father that gives us hope for the future and a reason for getting up in the morning.
With the Father is all that we need. He has promised us abundant life. It is up to us to pursue Him with all that we are, shedding the things that hinder us along the way, and, as Paul so aptly says, "press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Run! Run like you have never run before! Run, and with every step know that around the next bend is a blessing waiting, over the next hill He has prepared a rest for you, and at the end is a prize that will cause all of the run to fade into the mist of the past as we revel in the reward of our destiny.
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