One of the joys of my life is the ability to sing. Though I do not consider myself a good singer, I take a lot of pleasure in singing. The essence of ‘forward thinking’ is captured most provocatively by musicians, across the board. Some of our hymns articulate this concept—to move forward, to think ahead. Some of these songs include: I Am Resolved, Where He Leads I’ll Follow, I Know Who Holds Tomorrow, I Am Thine O Lord, Lord, I’m Coming Home, Pass It On, and Soon and Very Soon. What is the point? There is only one point, ‘forward thinking.’ Christianity is simply a way of saying, we are moving forward. For the Christian, forward thinking was necessitated by the Cross of Jesus. There is only one way for the Christian, post baptism—and that is: marching forward. When one becomes a Christian, he/she is literally saying to God, I am yours; do with me as you please. Such a person is also heralding a new beginning to others: family members, friends, or peers. A new Christian shares that they are no longer bound by self but captured by Christ. Such a person is fully prepared to embrace this new life, this new beginning, and set a platform for others to follow suit. Example after example in God’s Word provides a glaring assessment of folks who died to self so as to serve God with all that they had. Folks like Peter, Paul, Barnabas, Aquila & Priscilla, come to mind. Through good times and challenging times, these folks ‘resolved’ to ‘follow’ the Way, even to the point of death. Now, Paul’s words come to mind when discussing this very idea of folks who left us examples, ‘for everything that was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.’ The very mention of Paul and Peter, and their forward stance, is not in there for us to gloss over. It is in there for us to consider with the utmost respect. Now, not all of those who spent time with Jesus, his disciples, or Paul were disciplined to the end, as illustrated by Demas, a co-worker of Paul. How can anyone forget the tone as he wrote with much pain and concern regarding Demas, ‘(d)o your best to come to me quickly [Titus], for Demas [my co-worker and fellow soldier has left the work] because he loved this world…’ Such behavior begs the question: Why? Well, it could be because we are so fixated on tradition, or a set of beliefs/doctrine, that we become unwilling to consider anything else in light of the evidence. In other words, we are so set in what we know to be true, that even if Jesus were telling us to rethink our positions on certain matters we would maintain our stance, unmoved as it were. That brings me to a statement uttered by the famed writer and speaker John Piper who said, ‘If you don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great.’
Forward thinking depends on the Cross of Christ. Forward thinking can only materialize when I saturate myself in the Grace of God. Forward thinking depends on the veracity of my drinking ability, from God’s well. Alternatively, backward thinking is associated with nibbling just enough to think we are satisfied. We may get away with it momentarily when we assign blame for lack of growth on others. But eventually, the truth will come out on whether or not you prefer your soul stuffed with small things, thus keeping the great things at bay. Or are you characterized by consistent heavy drinking, which thrills the soul and satiates your heart’s desire? It is imperative to heed what Oswald Chambers said about the need to part with our ‘commonplace religious shoes.’ If we are to take seriously our calling to follow Christ, to love people based on a love of God—and evangelize a world void of meaning and truth, commonplace religion should be rendered useless. We are about moving forward! That’s where our Lord wants us to be. That call cannot wait. It has to be now! Forward thinking represents itself by asking questions, probing the edge of our comfort level, so as to keep us accountable and uncomfortable. We cannot allow familiarity to dictate what our view of God should be—because naturally, our view of God based on familiarity can either be good or very limited. At times, our default mode can be somewhat limited. For instance, there are many who refuse the Gospel’s call because of tradition. The common sayings include, but are not limited to: (1) well, this is what my father and mother believed, and that’s my belief—because they believed it, it must be true, (2) this is the family church!, or (3) some have even exclaimed that he/she is more comfortable with this, as opposed to that—so there! However, the pitfall represented by this line of thinking is a definite lack of independent thinking. Chambers went on to say that we also need to seriously ‘rid [ourselves] of all undue familiarity.’ When we approach scripture based on what someone else believes, we (inadvertently or not) proclaim that we are bound to the dictates of others. That presents a danger. What is the danger? Well, someone said it this way, ‘(a) worldview tested by truth will inform imagination and meditation, not the other way around.’ The intrinsic mirage that truth can be understood through imagination or meditation is salacious to say the least. Truth is truth! It is independent of imagination or meditation. Now, one can find truth in one’s imagination or meditation, but truth exists independently of these items. To ignore that there may be truth out there that will challenge some of our long held beliefs or doctrines would be devastating. Forward thinking demands accountability and transparency—and the only way to fulfill this is through some heart provoking consideration of something different. Forward thinking affects our sincerity at its core. Forward thinking asks the tough questions and is open to the possibility that one may not have all the answers. Forward thinking treats people with respect and care. Jesus left his disciples with an array of questions—and I believe it was intentional. The most dangerous moment in the life of man is the point in which a man thinks he/she has arrived. Forward thinking says that I may not have all the answers but I sure am searching, praying, meditating, asking questions and actively trying to understand why a God so amazing could love someone so frail as myself. Going back to the hymns, one song that comes to mind is Where He Leads I’ll Follow! For most, the following has been replaced by stagnation due to their inability to part with their commonplace religious shoes. They have arrived, what more is there to pursue? Forward thinking demands total obedience powered by a heavy dose of humility unlike anything anyone has ever seen. Are you in favor of Forward thinking? It’s time to part with our commonplace shoes, as Steve likes to say! Blessings…
