Some of us are obsessed with the future, while others of us are focused on living life one day at a time. There are inherent strengths in both of these approaches, but we should also be cautious with each of them. The person who is obsessed with the future can live in “idea land” and never execute the vision they claim to have for their life. And the person who only thinks about their life one day at a time can fail to set an overall direction for the trajectory of their life.

If I were to ask you, “What is your life about?”, how would you answer this question? After some reflection, you would probably share something that sounds very inspirational to me. Then I would ask you this question:

Are you connecting your daily life to what you say is the overall vision of your life?

Jesus told us that it is wise to make this connection as we consider following Him for the long haul or what Eugene Peterson called “a long obedience in the same direction”.

Luke 14:28-30 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, “This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.”

Most of us are really good at starting things. We know how to start new exercise routines. We know how to start a new Bible reading plan; I mean, how many times have you read the first 20 chapters of Genesis? ☺ We know how to bring our best when we’re starting a new job. Starting is really important; but we want to be great finishers too.

Jesus indicates that we need to begin with the end in mind. He intends for us to go the distance. And the good news is that he’s committed to going the distance with us. Paul framed it this way:

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Jesus is the Great Finisher and he wants us to partner with him by going the distance in our life, our faith, and our assignments.

Are you positioned to go the distance?

If we are going to go the distance in our faith and with our purpose, it will help to know how sacrifice actually works. What’s your philosophy when it comes to the idea of sacrifice? There are two ways people tend to think about sacrifice, and I believe they both miss the point. Some people don’t think anything will be hard when it comes to stepping into their God-given purpose. They just assume it’ll be easy, especially since it’s something God designed for their lives. Other people assume that what is hard in the beginning will always be hard.

If we pay the price sacrifice demands on the front end, it tends to bring tremendous blessing on the back end.

It is a natural human instinct to want to avoid pain. All of us have had times when we positioned our lives to stay away from anything that could cause us pain. And sometimes this is the wise thing to do. We should stay away from things that will damage our bodies, our minds, and our relationships. But not all pain is bad. To take that statement a step further:

Pain is often a sign we’re doing exactly what we’re supposed to be doing.

If we avoid the pain that lifting weights gives us, we will never get stronger physically. If we skip out on every difficult conversation with other people, we will never be able to work through conflict. If we don’t experience the pain that comes from waking up in the middle of the night to care for our infants, we can’t adequately care for them.

Most of us are going to experience pain in life based on what we do or refuse to do. So here’s my challenge and encouragement to you:

Choose front-end pain over back-end pain.

Front-end pain looks like taking risks, starting something new, training for an event, developing a new spiritual practice, or doing something else that’s difficult in the beginning. Back-end pain is all about regrets, missed opportunities, and wishing we had chosen front-end pain.

Think about the difference between front-end pain and back-end pain when it comes to being deeply connected to our church community. Front-end pain involves meeting new people, showing up to events that are foreign to you, and putting yourself out there. But back-end pain looks like living in isolation, having no one to care for you, and remaining unknown around here.

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

This Scripture captures everything I’m trying to communicate in this message. NO discipline seems pleasant at the time. There is nothing that is easy in the beginning. It’s important that we remember what we’re after is the life we were created for, not simply the easiest life we can live. People don’t get married because marriage is easy. People don’t have children because they think it will be simple. And we aren’t called to follow Jesus because it’s the smallest commitment we can make. We do these things because they’re the best kinds of things and they’re actually worth the price we have to pay to step into them.

Where are you currently avoiding pain that will cause significant regret in your future?

If you sacrifice for the right thing early on, you will often receive way more than you ever give.

Here are some areas where sacrifice is likely to come:

Time. Whatever God is asking you to step into, it’s likely going to require an investment of your time. This sacrifice might mean you cut out television for a season or you say no to some good things you’ve been used to saying yes to. Tell yourself, “One day I won’t be new at this and one day this won’t take as much time as it does now.” Put the necessary time in now and watch how it multiplies later.

Money. There’s a really good chance there will be a financial cost to you stepping into something new. There could be new equipment you’ll need to buy or a monthly subscription to pay for or a conference you should attend.

Comfort. There’s an obvious reason we all enjoy things that make us feel comfortable, but comfort can hold us back from the life we’re made for. Embrace the discomfort rather than wishing it away. There’s no telling what you’ll find on the other side of it.

Isn’t Jesus the perfect example of choosing front-end pain? Our entire faith is founded on his sacrifice. Why would he go through something so horrific? Why didn’t he avoid the cross? He chose front-end pain so that he would give eternal life to each of us. None of us will be called to do what Jesus did for us, but he gives us a perfect example of what it looks like to choose front-end pain for back-end blessing.

With all of this talk about sacrifice, it can make it seem like we have to strive in our own strength to make our God-given purpose a reality in our lives. But that will only exhaust us and still leave us short of the life we’re meant for.

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

When it comes to the fruit you will produce in your life, Jesus made it pretty clear you won’t be able to do it on your own. But he even goes a step further. He says you can do nothing without him. God has a vision for what he wants to bring out in and through our lives. But that vision cannot be realized without his help, his presence, and his power. Striving alone isn’t going to get the job done. We must remain – or the word I prefer is “abide” – in Jesus. This means we make our home in Jesus and stay connected to him. Our lives cannot produce what God intends for them to produce apart from him.

You cannot bear fruit on your own, but you are not on your own.

How do you know the difference between striving and abiding? Striving feels like endless hustle. Abiding involves rhythms of work and rest. Striving tends to bring anxiety. Abiding creates peace. Striving can distract us from what’s most important. Abiding helps us be close to God and others in our lives. Striving is about earning. Abiding is about receiving. Striving leads to despair when there’s failure and arrogance when there’s success. Abiding keeps us humble yet confident.

While Jesus promised us that with him we would bear much fruit, that fruit doesn’t usually come overnight. This means waiting will be part of the process when we’re seeking to bring out fruit in our lives. It means we will need both patience and perseverance. There’s a significant relationship between sowing and reaping that God has woven into the fabric of the universe.

Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

All of us will eventually reap what we sow. I use the word “eventually” because there is often a distance between what we sow and what we reap. Knowing you are going to eventually reap what you sow, what are some things in your life you need to give up? And what are the good things that you need to never give up?

As we wrap up this Bring It Out series, how can we make sure we stay positioned for whatever’s ahead for us? I’m sure you wish you could know everything about your future. Where you’re going to live, who you’ll marry, what companies you’re going to work for, and so much more. We think everything would be so much better if we could only know what our future holds. But I think it would be boring to know the specifics of all that’s ahead for us. Though uncertainty can make us anxious, I hope it will cause us to lean into God and enjoy the adventure. Just because you can’t know everything about the future doesn’t mean you can’t prepare for it.

While you cannot know exactly what your future holds, you can position yourself for that future.

Just think about it; five years ago you were doing something to position yourself for the life you’re living today. And the same is true for five years from now – you’re life today is creating a life your future self will have to live in.

Whatever path you take has inevitable conclusions.

Make a commitment that you will never stop growing as long as there is breath in your lungs. There are two specific areas I want you to focus on: your character and your skills. I love the last verse in Psalm 78:

Psalm 78:72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

When it comes to growing your character, concentrate on your weaknesses. What are those things that could hold you back from all that God has in store for your future?

What is present in your life that could hijack God’s vision for your future?

When it comes to your skills, focus on your strengths. How can you go deeper in your gifts? How can you pursue mastery in something you’re already really good at?

There’s never been another human just like you. God has deposited so many unique things into you because he wants you to bring those out in this world – for his glory and for the good of others.

God, thank you for everything you’ve put into me. With your help and by your Spirit, I want to bring out everything you’ve put into me – for your glory and the good of others.‍