Looking Back: Where We've Been and Where We're Headed

My sons and I watched old home videos the other day for an hour and a half. They loved seeing themselves as newborns in the hospital, their first birthday parties, and hearing themselves talk in cute baby babbles. I enjoyed it too. It seems like the time has gone really quickly, yet at the same time I can't really remember those moments as well as I'd like to-it's as if it's been forever since I've had little tiny babies in my house... It's a strange paradoxical situation.

I love watching my boys grow and change. I love looking back on days that have gone past far too quickly. It's awesome to see them learning more about God and seeing my oldest son take on the characteristics of a strong leader, while my youngest son delights in music, prayer, and helping others. They will make a formidable team someday :)

Watching those videos with them made me think about how different life is from year to year- how much we grow and change, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. God wants that for all of us. He wants us to change, to learn, to flourish and grow in Him.  God wants to see us grow in those areas, not only individually, but also within our church bodies. Ephesians 4:11-15 says,

And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped,when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

I also love watching my church, Lancaster Community Church, grow and change. I think back on the journey we have taken as a worshiping community and I am humbled and awed by what God has done and is doing. He has truly been with us every step of the way, even in times of uncertainty and difficulty, He has been there. I love seeing new faces week after week and hear the stories of lives being changed, chains being broken, lives being healed, eyes being opened as Christ is revealed. God loves it. He desires it. From the Ephesians passage above, we read that He wants us to put off childish ways and to grow up into Christ, equipped and effective, and held together by His unchanging love. 

I believe that as time goes on, we're going to see even more amazing things happen at LCC. By the power of God's love and walking in the ways of His truth, we will be a source of change in our community. We will begin to be students of the Word. We will live out our calling to worship Him in all we do and with all that we are. We will contribute daily to the Kingdom work and calling that God has for us. We will not forget the orphan, the widow, and those who are oppressed. We will be the hands and feet of Jesus in our family, our workplace, our world. I can feel the change happening right now. We're going from people who hear and know the Truth, to people who LOVE and LIVE OUT the Truth.

Take some time today to think about where you are. Look back on where you've been. And then look beyond your current circumstances to the future- the beautiful prospect of what could be. Then prayerfully take some steps to make sure that a year from now, when you look back, the place you will be Spiritually leaves you awestruck and filled with praise for what God did in your life.