Have you noticed that boats can't go backwards? Its only directional function is to move forwards, even against harsh waves battering the sides of the boat. What about airplanes? They don't go backwards, either. There is no backup function. Its only directional function is to also move forwards, pushing past turbulent winds and unknown weather conditions. When you ride a bicycle, what is its directional functionality? Can it go backwards?
Of course, vehicles can go backwards. But does driving backwards feel normal or awkward? How many of you reading this post love to back up to a parking spot? Or better yet, how many of you love parallel parking?
Moving forward feels natural. It feels like progress. It feels like we are accomplishing a journey, inch by inch; mile by mile. Yet, why do most of us go backwards in life? Why does it feel like we aren't making as much progress in our finances, our career, our health, our relationships, or our ministry? Why does it feel like every time we take two steps forwards, we go five steps backwards?
Progress is psychologically essential in our lives. Socially, it's accepted. Physically, it's natural. But in application to our success journey can feel like a far-off dream. We had a dream inside our hearts. We had a promise from God that we believe will come to pass. But the steps towards such dreams and goals seem too far-off, too impossible, when all we've experienced is a hold up on our finances, a relationship falling through the cracks, a dream shattered by reality, a career or ministry that failed for the tenth time.
There are many factors as to why going backwards on the Road to Success seems inevitable. While that fact is true, one thing that we need to keep in the forefront of our minds is the concept of "Focus Forward". Focus Forward gets us to look ahead, not constantly look backwards. Sure, we may have had regrets and we may have missed opportunities. But continuing to go backwards and relive the past mentally hinders progress more than it helps. Focus Forward gets our eyes off of the past. It gets our eyes off of the future (we aren't fortune tellers, after all). It, instead, encourages us to focus our gaze on the here and now. What we do now is more important that what we did or will do. Paul said it best to the Church in Philippi:
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the price for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:12-14
Notice how he said "press on" twice in his letter of address. He was saying that no matter if it feels like you're going backwards, move on. No matter if you've made a mistake, move on. No matter if you have fallen, if others failed you, or situations didn't pan out the way you had planned - MOVE ON! That's the beauty of perseverance. That's the mysterious wonder of faith.
Progress in society is inevitable. Computers and AI is unavoidable. The future is not 200 years later down the road. It's happening now. Flying cars are being put to the test right now. Hover boards are going through a testing phase. Flying to space and back is making headway. Entrepreneurship and building a home-based business is now. More and more IT people are sprouting up. And IT Engineering and Coding classes are currently being taught to Elementary and Middle-school students. Technology we see in Sci-Fi movies is happening now, whether you realized it or not. Why do you think so many countries and businesses are desperately looking for IT people?
Singapore and Malaysia are the leading countries in the IT and technological sphere. It's a wonder that most computer companies love to take their business in Southeast Asia. Traditional business and education is quickly fading away, with so many people learning University-Level content online (and sometimes, for free). That is the power of "Focus Forward." Society has never stopped progressing. Some of us, on the flip-side, have. We are addicted to the "good ol' days". What if the good ol' days are just that: old? Outdated? Expired? What used to "be" is no more. Welcome to the 21st century. Welcome to the Age of "Focus Forward".
The beauty of it is that God doesn't change! He foresaw the age of technology and advancement coming. This is no surprise to Him. What He wants us to do is make a conscious decision to move past the past - "forget what is behind" - and see the new things He has planned for us in the here and now:
"See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." - Isaiah 42:9
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." - Isaiah 43:18-19
"See, I will create new heaves and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind." - Isaiah 65:17
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17
Since "new things" are here to stay, how do we focus on the here and now? Most of us reading this are afraid to step forward into new territory because of the pain of our past. Well, what we need to do is do what God's word instructs of us: Forget the past! Move on!
The second thing we need to do is to be present. Here and now, we must make an intentional, conscious decision to take a step of faith - or a leap of faith - in order to move towards the bright future God has already lined up for us. We must focus on the journey and not the goal itself. Yes, we have goals and aspirations. We need to be reminded of those goals and aspirations. But, we don't need to put those goals and aspirations over our eyes. We need to be able to see what's going on in the present. Tupac Shakur and Robert Frost said it best:
"You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months overanalyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could've, would've happened...or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move on." - Tupac Shakur
"In three words, I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." - Robert Frost
To sum it all up, we all need to "Focus Forward" - have tunnel vision, so to speak - and continue to take steps of faith, as though we are closer to our goal today than we were yesterday. I encourage everyone to watch this video done by TinyBoss herself on the value of moving on:
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