If you’re like most people, you have a dual focus. You look into the past—with a mixture of regret over mistakes and disappointments and satisfaction over successes. And you look into the future—with some blend of hopes and expectations on one hand, and fear and resignation on the other. And sometimes the regrets of the past look bigger than the opportunities of the future.
That’s a problem for a disciple of Jesus. He is far less interested in what he’s calling you out of than what he’s calling you into. And you have to have the same focus to be in sync with him.
In your discipleship, do you focus more on getting over sin or advancing God’s kingdom? More on your liabilities or your assets? More on the mistakes of the past or the possibilities of the future? And when you do look into the future, do you focus more on the opportunities or your fears surrounding them? These aren’t minor questions; they profoundly shape your experience of God.
Invite him into every aspect of your past—for forgiveness, affirmation, whatever you need. Then invite him into every aspect of your future—for dreams, desires, open doors, and fearlessness. Then go and live boldly, with one face gazing only at him. That focus will take you deeper, higher, and farther than you ever hoped.
