Looking ahead

12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10: 12-13

Most of us have read this passage before. In fact, you may even sometimes feel a bit “tired” of hearing it? Maybe a bit doubtful of it’s truth, that God would not place too much on us that we could not bear it?

Each time I’ve read this I have thought to myself, “why then does He even place so much on me as to try my patience”?

Selfish right? So what about these temptations and “ways of escape” from them? Perhaps the Lord wants us to be looking at this passage differently?

Perhaps we could get away from the selfish perspective and look at our daily life from another lens? A higher altitude… the “30,000 foot view” is a common way we hear this. That is … perhaps we are so bogged down by the items right in front of us that we forget to see the “big picture” or the “look ahead”.

Story after story, testimony after testimony, we hear the same theme in regards to someone’s past situations, their present troubles, and their future success in CHRIST. We plague ourselves with this habit of seeing only 10 feet in front of us, or WORSE YET, looking backwards to the hard parts, painful days, or massive failures that we have been party to. Wah, Wah, Wah, woe is us… it is tiring really to stay in that mindset. It is harmful, it is toxic, and it is useless to dwell on this level.

LOOK AHEAD, eyes forward, not back… The believer in Christ is to have a mature perspective in regards to their own future and the future of others. Even more so, we are to KNOW AND BELIEVE that God has destined us for eternity in Christ, living in Heaven after our time here on Earth, when EVERY TEAR will be gone, every hard story repaired, every body perfect, and all of us gazing and loving and honoring the King.

Is it hard to see our future? Sure it is… It can even be scary to imagine we will end up stronger, healthier, and more mature in EVERY part of our lives… all growth is scary… but make a habit to start your vision…

A few key items you start with:

1. Write down in a notebook your life mission statement. Keep it simple if this is your first attempt. Keep it real, focus on a one or two sentence statement that defines what you want your life to look like or resemble.
2. Write down some visions and goals for your future. Use a white board and place it in a room you start your day in ! Maybe the bedroom wall or hang it in the bathroom where you brush you teeth! Get a dry erase marker or even use some pages in a nice JOURNAL. This VISION can include your family structure, your career, your friendships, your prayer life.. the options here can be extensive! Don’t hold back or limit your writing by your CURRENT circumstances… Describe what you want to see for yourself in the future and put a date on it! Save this paper and come back to it each week for adjustments, updates, and accomplished parts of the goal!
3. Write down your gratitude! See where you already are and recognize the things God has already done !! I know you will find encouragement here! We have gotten so used to the present day struggle we can forget the BIG STUFF God has already done for us!
4. Do it again! Repeat these items on a regular basis and congratulations! You are now officially journaling and in that action of writing it down, recording your prayers and heart conversations with God.

FOCUS on this first task of vision casting and I promise the current struggles, temptations, and hang ups will begin to lessen and even disappear! Bringing yourself closer to Jesus and God’s will for your life in the answer to every struggle! He knows where your at, He knows your struggle, He HAS A GREAT PLAN for you! We need only remind ourselves this truth!