Forward Looking

“So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world."  I Peter 1:13

"Not again" and "What was I thinking?" are, unfortunately, all too familiar phrases to us. I remember, as a teenager, standing next to my severely dented car trying to explain to the police officer why the other two cars that were there were all smashed up. It was a lengthy chat to be sure. The short version? I made a stupid decision.

Our verse for the day gives us a solid preventative strategy for avoiding fuzzy mindedness and haphazard living. Look forward. Get your attention passed the immediate moment. Specifically, hold your gaze on Jesus. His arrival is imminent. He brings with him his salvation. Consider just for a second how the decision before us appears next to our revealed Savior. Is it a befitting welcoming gift or not?  

Instinctively we know, if only we would have counted to ten, we could have avoided a world of hurt in our lives. We get stuck in cycles of failure because we have not yet embraced the practice of looking forward. Now living is small living. We were made for so much more. 

Grace and Peace,

Tom Wiles
www.fallcreekchristian.org

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