Looking
Ahead
by Cathy Vinson |
|
Growing up
enabled Moses to make a value judgment, and he chose a greater future over the pleasures
of Egypt surrounding him at his fingertips. In Scripture we can see a link between
maturity and looking ahead. Have we, like Moses, grown up?
Because spiritual maturity is a goal, what does it look like? what hinders it?
Luke 8:14 describes fruit that never matures: "those who hear, but as they go their
way they are choked by life's pleasures, and they do not mature." Are we stuck in
today, being choked? Moses' ability to look ahead kept him from getting trapped in these
cares "...BECAUSE he was looking ahead."
Paul, as well, described maturity in terms of looking ahead. "I press on to take
hold...straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for
which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are MATURE should take
such a view" (Phil 3:12-15).
Maturity leaves a believer with a hard-to-define residue from each experience, a lack of
satisfaction for what only heaven can provide.
"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied" (Lk 6:21).
Being a stranger was his home; Abraham "was looking forward to his city."
Faith's heroes saw the things ahead "...were persuaded of them, and embraced
them...They were looking for a country of their own...they were longing for a better
country - a heavenly one" (Heb 11:10,13,14,16).
Let's lift our heads and look to a better country. We will see worries lessen, riches and
pleasures lose their appeal. If what is happening NOW is the sum total of our existence,
we are trapped and not maturing. Gain a focus towards a better place - "a heavenly
one." |
