Encouraging Words-Start With the Finish in Mind

Start With the Finish in Mind

Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?  Galatians 3:3 NIV

I’m sticking with a New Year’s theme one more week, but I’m going to take you forward to January 1, 2013.  Wow, that year just flashed by, didn’t it?  So what’s the rush?  None really, but bear with me for a moment.

Remember those resolutions you made last week of everything you were going to get done in 2012, how you were going to improve your health, how you were going to strengthen you walk with the Lord?  If not, may I suggest adding improving your memory to the list. 

So what will that look like this time next year?  If you’re trying to lose weight, what will your new body look like?  What are your goals?  If you said “I want to walk more closely with the Lord in 2012” what will that mean in 2013?  What does that walk look like in your mind?

The more important your commitment or project is, the more critical it is to start with the finish in mind.  When you get in your car, you usually have a destination in mind, don’t you?  You measure success by reaching your destination, and failure would be getting lost and not finding the location you set out for.

I am reminded of the book “The Principle of the Path” written by Andy Stanley.  In it, he defined the principle of the path as “direction not intention determines our destination.”  Essentially he says that we have to know where we want to wind up before we set out on a path in our lives.  We will take certain steps, but if we’re not pointing to a specific place how do we know where those steps will take us. 

Wait a minute though, if we’re thinking things through on our own, aren’t we taking it out of God’s hands and putting it in ours?  Psalm 16:11 says otherwise:

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Then there is Psalm 119:105 (also a beautiful Amy Grant song):

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Jesus warned us about taking the wrong path in Matthew 7:13

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

In Jeremiah 6:16 we are taught to carefully consider our path before embarking on our journey (look before you leap):

This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.

When the Lord has brought us to a time of change in our lives, He doesn’t tell us to turn our minds off and just wander off in the name of “trusting in Him.”  Remember how we’ve been taught that God has a plan for our lives?  Proverbs 3:5-6, a very familiar passage to many of us, spells it out very well:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight

My takeaway from these and other texts:

1)      God has a plan for us that starts with step one, continues with step two, and eventually reaches a definable destination.

2)      Something may seem like our idea, but if it is truly in our hearts, it’s very likely that God put it there and will bless it.

3)      We need to trust and actively engage the Lord as we move through His plan by praying (ask where the good way is) and studying his word (a lamp unto my feet).

4)      If we lose focus on 1-3, our path will diverge from what God would show us, and we will wind up in a ditch or worse because our plan is NEVER better than His.

So you’ve got goals for 2012? Good.  Start with your finish in mind, seek the Lord’s blessing, submit to His will, and follow the path He lays out for you.  If your goal is to loose weight this year, he will not likely be leading you to McDonalds for double quarter pounders (sad but true).  If that’s the path you take, you may have the intention of losing weight, but I can say from personal experience that your destination will be different from your goal (probably the plus-size section).

Whatever the Lord is calling you to do right now, I encourage you to answer that call and Brenda and I will happily support you with prayer.  Please feel free to drop me a note and tell me what your goal is so we know what to pray for.