And your thoughts will be established.” Proverbs 16:3
Everything is clear in hindsight. Every place you went wrong, what you should have said or done, or what you should not have said or done, all seem glaringly obvious from this vantage point. Amazingly, we focus on the negative more than what we did or got right. We look at what we can’t change, it’s now in the past and totally out of our reach or influence. They say that hindsight is 20/20, but that doesn’t change the past.
But not so 2020! It’s only just beginning! The year ahead is full of potential and promise. No mistakes or regrets in it at this moment. It’s a blank slate on which to create a masterpiece. Looking ahead to the coming year, what is your 2020 vision? What are your dreams and ambitions for this new year, for this new decade? Do you see a wide road ahead with lots of possibilities or do you see a daunting sharp curve ahead, around which you are unable to see? Are you stepping into 2020 with a plan or roadmap? Or are you stepping out into the unknown blind?
Either way, you are stepping into what for you is the unformed, the unwritten. You are stepping into a future that no matter how well planned for, will ultimately be changed and influenced by the actions and plans of others, which is outside of your control. This can in and of itself cause us to hold back, to not move forward and not get outside our comfort zones. This can result in failure and regrets. So, it’s not so much taking control of our future, but taking control of our thoughts, actions and reactions that shapes whether or not we succeed. Success isn’t necessarily the fulfilment of our plans, but the shaping of our lives so that we walk not in regret but in purpose and compassion with the flexibility to adapt to new challenges and new directions. Our focus should be as much on who we are physically, emotionally, and spiritually as it is on the achieving our planned goal. After all, not every plan we purposed for ourselves turned out to be in our best interest in the past, so we should look to the future with the wisdom that experience has taught us.
There have been many twists and turns in my life’s story that were unseen and therefore unplanned for. If it has taught me anything it is that ultimately, I am not in control of the big picture, but I am in control of myself, my thoughts, actions and reactions, and these in turn influence the outcome of every unforeseen and unexpected event in my life. I know the One who is in control and so I can rest in the trust that He knows where my life’s road is going, and He will lead and direct me if I am willing. I rest in His promises and look ahead to 2020 with expectation and a certain level of excitement at the unknown, knowing He will lead me through it.
1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”
Proverbs 3:6 “in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Psalm 55:22 “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.”
