Looking Forward
Have you ever wondered what God will do and where He will show up in your life in the year ahead?
Over the last few years of leading at Seek Well I’ve noticed a trend; most people don’t look forward in their walk with God. We often find ourselves in the trenches of life and tend to stay there, trying to simply get through another day. I get it! Life can be chaotic and there are definitely hard seasons. But, in my opinion, looking forward to where God is moving and what He wants to do in and around us is an essential skill to develop as we follow Jesus.
Check out Colossians 3:1-3:
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Paul instructs us to look up and see things from God’s perspective. He says to get our minds off the here and now, the difficult season we are going through, and look up and ahead to the things of God.
A great way to do this is by looking back and looking forward.
I learned this practice from a mentor of mine years ago. He taught me to carve out some space at the end of each year to review what God has done (you can read more here) and then look forward to the year ahead. By inviting Jesus into the year in front of me it aligns my heart with His and provides perspective and clarity on what He wants me to focus on as we work together.
As we wind down in 2023, I want to challenge you to give this a try.
Carve out an hour or two over the next few weeks to be still with God. You’ll want to make sure you plan ahead so that you have a quiet place and no distractions. Then, take inventory of your life by asking God a few questions like:
“God, how are you and I doing? Is our relationship vibrant or am I going through the motions?”
“God, what do you want me to know about my family? Is there a relationship that needs to be repaired?”
“God, am I honoring you with my finances? Or is there an area here that I need to surrender to you?”
“God, what do you want me to know about how I’m taking care of my body, mind, and soul?”
As you ask these questions, fight the urge to speak. Just be still and let God speak to you. When he does, write it down so you don’t forget.
Now, here’s the critical part of looking forward - after you’ve invited God into the process of taking inventory of your life, ask Him what He has for you in the year ahead. You can ask him questions like:
“God, what do you want me to focus on in our relationship in 2024?”
“God, where does my family need me in the year ahead?”
“God, where do you want me to invest your money to build your kingdom?”
“God, where do you want me to work with you in 2024?”
If this seems like a big ask, I get it. This practice does take time and intentionality. But, I promise you that if you carve out the time to do this, God will show up. He will remind you how he has been faithful in your life and lead you to the areas of your life He wants to change and use to make an impact for others.
This is one of the many practices we teach at Seek Well. In the year ahead, we hope to have a few hundred men and women join us at one of our in person experiences to learn to be still and listen to God. My hope is that you will join us as we seek Jesus together.
Tim
