Look Back and See How Far You’ve Come

I know we're told to NOT keep looking in the rearview mirror at the past, but this time it’s okay -- looking back at how far we've come. We’ve acquired abilities we never thought possible. We dreamed of driving a car and the day came when we passed the test and now we’ve been driving for years. We dreamed of one day getting married and having children. That day came and now we’ve raised or are raising our children and, quite frankly, doing a pretty good job at it. We dreamed of the day when we’d have a job that paid us well for our hard work. We put that dreaming to work as we earned a college degree or learned a skill or gained on-the-job, hands-on training and experience that opened up even more doors for us.

Think way back to where you started. Maybe it was that newspaper route that taught you the discipline of getting up early and the responsibility to be on time and throw it in the right place on the driveway. Maybe it was that waitress job that taught you patience, diligence and kindness. Maybe those school sports gave you the start you needed to be the team player with sportsmanship and comradery that you have with your fellow employees today.

We can all look back and see how far we’ve come. Who we are is a result of all we have learned, put into practice, and we became quite astute at it because we believed in hard work. I heard it said that “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, and sacrifice”. We applied those principles and look how far we'ved come.

Think about Jesus Christ – the skills, the abilities, and the leadership qualities he had when he showed up on the scene at age 30. He must have acquired His skills from the training in His family's business and heading it up after His dad passed away. Think about His childhood, youth, and manhood, when He studied the Scriptures. As a little child He was daily at His mother’s knee taught from the scrolls of the prophets. And since He gained knowledge as we may gain it, His power, both mental and spiritual, is a testimony to the value of the Bible as a means of education Here is what was said of Him: “And He grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and Man.” Luke 2:52.

If we keep working at that creative idea – we’ll land right where God planned for us to be. Like our Lord Jesus Christ -- diligently pursuing who God destined us to be, we'll hear those words, too: “And he/she grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man.” Now, whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you've already come.

You've Come a Long Way, Baby!

Have you thought about how far you’ve come in life? You’ve acquired abilities you never thought possible. You dreamed of driving a car and the day came when you earned your driver’s license and now you’ve been driving for years. You dreamed of one day getting married and having children. That day came and now you’re raising your children and, quite frankly, you’re doing a great job at it. You dreamed of the day when you’d have a job that paid you well for your hard work. You put that dreaming to work as you earned a college degree or you learned a skill or you gained on-the-job, hands-on experience that opened up even more doors for your next position.

Think back to where you started. Maybe it was that newspaper route that taught you the discipline of getting up early and the responsibility to be on time and throw it just in the right place on the driveway. Maybe it was that waitress job that taught you patience and diligence? Maybe those school sports gave you the start you needed to be the team player with sportsmanship and comradery that you have with your friends and fellow employees today.

Thomas Edison said "I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident, they came by work." He was known for an unfailing work ethic. He never shirked from mundane tasks because he always found there was something he could learn even while working in a telegraph office.

Think about Jesus Christ – the skills, the abilities, and the leadership qualities He had when He showed up on the scene at age 30. He must have acquired so many of His characteristics from the training He received from his dad and mom while working in the family carpentry business and from the tough times when his dad, Joseph, passed away and He had to step up and help earn income for He and His mother. Also, think about His childhood, youth, and manhood, when He studied the Scriptures. As a little child He was daily at His mother’s knee taught from the scrolls of the prophets. Here is what was said of Him: “And He grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and Man.” Luke 2:52.

Like Edison, if we keep working at that "thing", that invention, that creative idea or project – we’ll land right where God planned for us. Like our Lord Jesus Christ, if we keep diligently pursuing God and becoming who He destined us to be, we'll also hear those words “And he/she grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man.” I don't know about you, but I see my life's timeline and I see God's Master Plan that landed me right where I am here today. He's been with me all the way. I can assure you “I’ve come a long way, Baby!" How about you? We're still here so we're not done with choosing to continue to grow, learn and finish strong!”