Forward

I've heard several people mention that it's too early after the election to be using the word 'forward' since it was the key phrase for President Obama's re-election campaign. Many have mentioned that the word will never be the same. Just as "Hope" and "Change" automatically take people back to the words of the 2008 election campaign, the word Forward" will likely be hard to disassociate from the most recent. We will likely visual the blue and red in the letter "O" for some time.

When we look at the definition of the word, it means "toward the front; in the direction that one is facing or traveling". As a verb, it means "toward a destination". When we move forward, we are leaving the place that we currently are and proceeding in a positive direction. We all look forward to something. It's what keeps us going.  Looking forward to 5 o'clock Friday gets many through the week. Kids look forward to their birthday, Halloween and Christmas and adults look forward to vacation.  When we look forward, we are assuming what that future will be like. We imagine the feeling of leaving work on Friday or boarding a plane fora sandy beach location. We don't know what it will fully feel like, we look with anticipation and desire.

Forward thinking motivates us. It invigorates our imagination and enlivens our senses. It is through forward thinking that our creative energies are released. Even if we are forward thinking and only can think of the bad, we don't know what that is going to look like but our imagination plays it out, creates situations and shows us details. Creativity and imagination are still at work.

It is through forward thinking that board games and chess matches are won, and how ideas and inventions are created. It's through forward thinking that fields are created to be harvested, how a house is built and how a wedding is planned. Most of our lives we spend in forward thinking...what we will wear to work tomorrow, what we will make for dinner, what movie we will see this weekend.

Forward thinking is critically important. If we didn't have it, we'd be stuck in despair with no way out. We'd fall into depression and inner chaos. The Bible is also forward thinking and encourages us to be as well.

It tells us "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

The ant knows that the winter is coming. It knows it needs to prepare and store up food. It understands being a forward thinker.

But the BIble also tells us not to fear the future. 

I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to proper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.

Forward thinking. We HAVE a hope and a future! We have something to look forward to. Everyday, we can look forward to our future, forward to what God has in store for us. He tells us not to worry, that the birds of the air don't toil for food, yet they are fed.  This is NOT telling us to not work for food or to just sit back and do nothing. It is however, telling us that tomorrow is ok. 'Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself'.  Notice it says 'Worry". It doesn't tell us to not think about tomorrow or not dream about tomorrow. It tells us to not WORRY about tomorrow.

Right now there a lot of people, a lot of Christians and Conservatives (of which I am) WORRYING about tomorrow! Many are talking about stockpiling weapons and food. They are worrying about what the future is going to hold. We are told NOT to do this. We are told to be forward thinkers, but not worriers.  Worrying accomplishes nothing, but more worry and anxiety.  Through forward thinking, we will find viable solutions. We will find that the reward through forward thinking is much greater. The reward is more contentment, more happiness and more peace.

ACTION STEP
So, while the word "FORWARD"  may always remind us of this nasty, expensive campaign, reclaim the word. Remind yourself to be a forward thinker. Let your creative imagination work FOR you. Let  God fill your mind with new ideas, new visions, new opportunities. Remind yourself to look for the positive in the situations. Remind yourself that the future is bright....and go towards it! No Fear!