The Future

I've come across many people in my life as an athlete.  Those who were so afraid to try something that that they defeated themselves before they even started, and those who knew absolutely no fear.  Regardless of their disposition, their thoughts catapulted them to a future of athletic success or athletic failure.

Today I came across a preacher who summed up our future outcome in one sentence.  "Our habitual thoughts about ourselves are our identity". He basically summed up the verse, "for as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7).  In non-Christian circles this is often referred to as the self-fulfilling prophecy. He did not tell us anything that has not been preached, researched or pondered over the years.  But he did remind us that whatever we focus on will direct path throughout life.

As a chubby little girl, I learned how to run.  Not just run, but run fast.  My goal was to win.  Never in my life did I think I would go on to be a regional champion, an all-conference runner, nor did I think that the times I ran were really fast.  I just wanted to run fast and win.  I had several people in my life tell me that I couldn't do "you name it".  Had I believed that, I would truly not be who I am today.  Instead I believed that I could do anything God set before me as long as I trusted him to bring me through.

Pastor Joyce writes a fabulous piece on achieving what God has set before us in the future.

The Future

“For I know the thoughts I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”(Jeremiah 29:11) We are on a brief journey through life on earth; in the process of learning to rule and reign with Jesus Christ.  This is a perilous trek through land mines, and booby traps, with arrows flying in every direction.

To make it through God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us (John 14:16), armor to shield us (Ephesians 6:10-18), a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) that can discern the tactics of the enemy, and a powerful weapon to bring total victory.  During the fight we must ever be mindful that there is always a future ahead of us.

At times we are tempted to think we can coast up a mountain, or drift up stream; neither can happen because when we lay our weapon down, or cease to engage in the battle we will lose our focus on the hope that lies within us and the future that has been prepared before the foundations of the earth were laid.

The future doesn’t just fall on us or overtake us in time; we are called to make the future happen by engaging in the now with every bit of energy bestowed on us by God our maker.  Daily we are to cultivate a relationship with the King.  It is in the step by step process that we learn what the future holds and what part we are destined to play in it.  As long as we have breath there will always be that great hope within us.

 When we place our faith and trust in God and know that what He says He will do, we strike a blow against the enemy and  promised peace in the midst of every storm. If we allow ourselves to get lazy, lethargic, or apathetic we will become pathetic representative of the destiny driven purpose of the Kingdom of God.  The future is what we make it, in His strength, and the power of His might – Thus we must be fully engaged in living.