A New Perspective
When my oldest daughter was 15 months old, my wife and I were at a youth convention during the summer. As she was walking back to the dormitory with our little girl in tow, Anna kept stopping and laying down on the sidewalk. Mom would heave her back up on her feet and walk a few more feet, only to have Anna lay down once again on the cement. Starting to feel a bit frustrated, Mom stopped and looked at her daughter. She then got down on the ground with Anna and looked up and saw the most amazing display of stars in the summer night sky that she had ever seen.
So often in life, we are in such a hurry to get where we're going that we fail to stop and take the time to appreciate what is around us. And sometimes, if we just stop and take a different perspective on things, we might just see something beautiful...like another person's point of view, or a beautiful display of love and affection.
So don't be in such a hurry. Take time to appreciate where you are and what's happening around you.
Getting Ahead of God
My friend Mike retold this story in a training session many years ago. It seems he was out in the woods of his old homestead with his 8-year-old son. They were trekking through the woods that Mike had known like the back of his hand since he was the age of 8. He wanted to share these woods with his son, but his son kept on running on ahead of him. He would call out to him and say, "Son, I want you to go that way," pointing to the left. His son stopped and looked at the fork in the path and said, "What way dad?"
Mike finally stood still and wanted to see how the situation would play out. He again pointed to the left and said, "That way!"
"Which way, dad?"
"Son. I want you to stop and wait for me."
Mike's son then turned around and waited for his father to come up next to him, take his hand, and then proceed to lead him in the right direction.
Far too often, we as Christians tend to rush ahead of God. We want to get to the blessings, and we have no idea how to get there. And we rush ahead, with God all the while pointing in a direction and saying gently to us, "Go that way!"
We respond with frustration because we are not following, but trying to force God's hand and have Him go the way we want to. But God's desire is for us to wait, to be patient, and allow Him to lead us where He wants us to go.
the psalmist in 139 asks God to "search me, know me, and lead me." God knows us and has searched us. But if we want to go where He wants us, we have to allow Him to lead us.
Trading Away The Future
A Yahoo Sports headline says it all. "Six future first-round picks have already been traded." That is surprising for several reasons, not the least of which is the date on the calendar. Today is October 16, 2019. The NFL Draft isn't until April 23-25, 2020, over six months away.
- The Jaguars now have the Rams' 2020 and 2021 first-round picks in exchange for Jalen Ramsey.
- The Dolphins now have the Texans' 2020 and 2021 first-round picks in exchange for Laremy Tunsil.
- The Dolphins also have the Steelers' 2020 first-round pick in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick.
- The Raiders now have the Bears' 2020 first-round pick in exchange for Khalil Mack.
With each of these men, their new teams felt they were the missing piece for them to win right NOW. Of course, by trading away draft picks, these teams are mortgaging away their future.
How about you? Are you trading away your future for the possibility of getting what you want now? Jesus warned us not to store up our "treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal," but to store up "treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).
The great danger Jesus was concerned about is that our hearts will follow our treasure. Do you really want to give your heart to this passing world? Even if moth and rust don't consume these investments, time certainly will. What we horde for the moment will be gone in a moment. What we store for eternity will be ours for eternity.
By the way, the previously mentioned teams who traded away their future picks to win today are currently a combined 12-11. The other lesson here is that even when we sell our futures, it rarely gives us what want in the present.