I Can See Into Your Future

posted by Erin Davis on 05/06/09 | Twitter: @ErinGraffiti
Category: The Future; ; 25 comments

I know who you’ll be next year…and in 10 years…and in 20…

No, I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t predict what circumstances your future holds. But I do know what kind of girl you’re going to be down the road. She’s the same kind of girl you are right now.

Like it or not, what you choose to do now will either form habits you have to break in the future or habits that are helpful to you. In other words, “you are what you are becoming.”

In Galatians 6:7 we read, “ Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that he will also reap.” You are making choices right now that are planting seeds in the dirt of your life. Those seeds will grow up to determine who you are, and what your life looks like in the future.

Let me give you some practical examples of this Truth in action. Do you want to marry a Christian? Then commit to only date Christians now. The best predictor of your future relationships is the patterns you’re developing in your current relationships. Do you want to have a more serious relationship with God "someday" but for now you're funneling your energy into sports, or friends, or academics? Make Him your number one priority now. Do you want to serve God with your whole heart as an adult? Look for ways to serve Him that way today. Now is the right time to serve others and to get plugged in to meaningful ministry through your local church. Do you want your future choices to be based on God’s will for your life? Seek His insight in the choices you are making today. Learn His Word so that you can prepare for a future grounded in God’s Truth. Do you plan to give up a bad habit, or a toxic relationship, or a pattern of sin “someday” but hold on to it for now because you’re young and it doesn’t seem to matter? Give it up now before it has the chance to grow into a thorn bush in your life.

There’s no time like the present to face up to the Truth that you’re current choices will determine who you are in the future.  

“ Habits are a result of seemingly insignificant individual choices and acts that you sow when you’re twelve, fifteen, or twenty. They can be good or bad. You’ll reap what you sow. You’re sowing seeds now.  What you do with your time, your eating habits, your exercise habits, the way you talk, the way you talk to your parents, the way you treat your friends, the way you spend your money, the way you work, your sleep habits…These are the habits you are developing today…

Choices matter: the books you read, the magazines you read, the television programs you watch, the music you listen to, the conversations you have, the friends you choose, what time you go to bed, what time you get up in the morning. Little things matter a lot” (Lies Young Women Believe, 166-167).

What are you sowing today? Is the gal you are right now the gal you desire to be in the future? What “little things” do you need to change in order to sow the seeds for the future you want?

Comments

HEY, GIRLS! We love hearing from you, but feel limited in the ways we can help. For one thing, we’re not trained counselors. If you’re seeking counsel, we encourage you to talk to your pastor or a godly woman in your life as they’ll know more details and can provide you with ongoing accountability and help. Also, the following comments do not necessarily reflect the views of Revive Our Hearts. We reserve the right to remove comments which might be unhelpful, unsuitable, or inappropriate.

    Sarah
    Becoming who I'll be
    on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at 10:07 am
    I heard a really cool quote. I'm not sure who said it but some of you may have heard it before. It says "Its only at the end of your life that you begin to realize how important your disicions were at the beggining". I think that is so beatifull and it helps me to live a better life now because I know it will affect who I am later on. I know (especcially in terms of spending time with God) that I sometimes am like 'I'll be a really devotional person when I'm an adult...' but I agree with you Erin, that we have to sow our seeds now.
    blondie :)
    WHO I WILL BE
    on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at 9:05 pm
    sometimes i dont want to be what i am in the future. i have been trying to be better. im a christian. but i think i need some friends that will have a better influence on me. bc alot of my friends are trying to make me do bad things.
    and i have some good friends that dont have very good reputations. and ppl at my school think i am what they are. i know this doesnt exactlly relate but how can i turn away from those friends that are bad, without being rude or mean?
    Jane
    oh dear
    on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at 10:22 pm
    I have terrible sleep habits. I've long wanted to be an early riser, and I always say to myself, "Yes, that is the way I will be when I am old." But I guess I have to start working on it now!
    Emily
    I agree!
    on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 8:45 am
    I completely agree with your post, Erin.

    I've made a personal commitment to only date christian men and also to only kiss my future husband. I have to admit, sometimes I'm very tempted to throw it all out the door and give into my sinful desires of the flesh. Even if it's just flirting with one of my guy friends, which may seem innocent enough. But I know I can and will regret it later on in life, so I try my very hardest not to.

    Thanks so much for this post! :]
    Abbie
    :(
    on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 11:23 am
    *guiltily (sp?) puts away box of cookies, pulls out running shoes*

    This is one of the more painful lessons for me to remember... I have several habits I need to change. My mom has helped me in a way with this principle; she often says stuff like "I WISH i had memorized more Bible verses when I was younger!", or "I never made it a habit to regularly brush my teeth, so now I have a mouthful of cavities!" So even though it's not fun to "shape up" now, it's well worth it, especially if we're going to live our lives for God's glory.
    Moriah
    Wow, thank you!
    on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 1:19 pm
    This was a total wake up call for me...I always tell myself I'm going to do something, and when I don't do it, I say to myself "Oh I'll just do it tomorrow, no big deal"...and then I keep putting whatever it is off for several more days. When I finally do it I have to really push myself to. So, thank you for this blog...it really helped me realize that I NEED to start making good habits, and I need to stop putting things off till the last minute.
    Aurelia
    It's not easy being a Christian.....
    on Friday, May 8, 2009 at 12:06 am
    I am bussy doing LYWB study book and WOW it has helped me alot with changing my life towards God. My boyfriend and I were together for 20 months (1year and 8 months) and yeah I'm only 17 years old!!! He was so an non-Christian but I chose to follow God and we broke up last month. It was not an easy thing to do but in this month of just putting my focus on God my life changed so much I cant decribe to you girls out there how good it feals. And iI trusted God that He would take away my pain and He did, I have no pain at all!!!!
    Put your faith in God and He will do the rest.....* God Bless
    Grace Akinrinade
    Habits
    on Friday, May 8, 2009 at 1:51 am
    One of my favorite quotes comes from Aristotle, which sums up this article in a nutshell: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." This is a reminder that I've got to strive to make prayer, my walk with God, etc. a habit, not a once in a while thing!
    Erin Davis
    Aurelia
    on Friday, May 8, 2009 at 9:45 am
    I am so proud of you! No doubt that was a very tough decision to make and follow through with. But it was the right decision. Following God's plan for us can sure be tough at times, but he is the only one with the ability to see our lives from start to finish. The Bible calls him El Roi, "the God who sees me." With that perspective, He certainly is able to know what is best for us. And it was with that perspective in mind that he asked us not to be yoked to non-believers.

    Again...I am so proud of you for taking a stand for God's Truth and standards. Way to go!

    Erin
    ShayBear
    RE: Habits
    on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 9:54 pm
    I completly agree with you Grace Akinrinade! That quote says a lot about striving and having determination. Great job comparing that to this blog!

    God Bless,
    `ShayBear
    chloe
    thank u and thank u and thank u again!
    on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 11:38 pm
    wow....i never really thought about it until now but there are a few habits that i should let go now so they don't effect me as much later in my life. i have a couple of habits that aren't good...i have a friend that my parents just told me i couldn't see anymore because of various reasons. i didn't really see where they were coming from until yesterday my daddy said to me, "chloe, please understand, we don't want you hanging out with ur friend anymore because we want u to maintain a good reputation in this town and she's giving u a bad one." only then did i see where my parents were coming from. sure i'm a little sad but i know that it'll benefit me in the end. my parents are the greatest parents in the world b/c unlike some parents they care about me and want only the best influences for me.
    rose
    god now is my boyfriend!!
    on Monday, May 11, 2009 at 10:20 pm
    my life was a mess when i choose to go with the flow of this fallen world. i was having an afair with non-cristian before.hoping that i can lead him to GOD.but i was wrong..i choose to follow my will not God. i realized to commit myself to HIM completely..and wow He just blessed me with HIS unconditional love. I consider GOD AS MY TRUE AND HONEST BOYFRIEND.........
    teacup
    re: Emily
    on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at 11:49 pm
    i have made a simmiler comentment an it is SO hard i never relised how dificult it would be!!!!! you are in my prayers.
    Mwende
    Blessed
    on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 6:53 am
    Ive really been blessed n challenged by this.ive always wanted 2 have a great relationship with God. This has really given me the psyche to work at it.thnx:)
    Angelita
    afraid to trust!
    on Sunday, May 17, 2009 at 7:10 pm
    Hey there! I'm 16 years old.. sometimes i'm afraid of my future: what career should i choose, what kind of job will I get, what kind of woman would i become, and who will i marry to??
    I know someone (a family member) she had a boyfriend who was a christian, i guess they were dating for 3 years, but at the end the guy was just using the girl, but after, the girl married to a doctor who is christian too and she got a baby boy whose name is CHRISTIAN =) Im telling u this story is because the guy that the girl used to date for 3 years was a christian and he cheated on her.. so my problem is that im afraid to trust a guy, beacuse i dont know whether they are real or not.. and sometimes even the closest people can cheat on u, and that really hurt.....
    Anonymous
    Re:
    on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 9:53 pm
    Why can't women be happy living the simple role of a houswife and have a tall, dark and strong spouse to take care of you?

    Why?
    Patricia
    I want my dad back
    on Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 11:54 am
    so i have been strugling with my dad who never stops whaching the news and listening to all the things happening in this world. which i think its fine to KNOW whats happening but he DWELLS on it. He has been talking to me about all the bad things that are going to happen and i tell him that i dont care because I know that in the end I will be with God, and he agrees but then goes back to saying we may live in tents. Ive never seen him like this, and it worrys me that he hasnt been to church sence febuary...or had his quite time for that matter. what do i do? I want him back to his normal self, the man I looked up to.
    Kat
    Dating God
    on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 11:42 am
    a little while ago, i decided that i would start to focus on God more than a guy that i have liked for over a year. i was almost obsessed over him and i knew that if i didn't force myself to let him go, things were going to go very wrong. i still like him, but God is my focus now. it's good to get a strong foundation while i'm young before i get into a relationship. God is the only one who should consume my thoughts and own my heart.
    confused
    the future
    on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 11:18 am
    Thank you!!! I was wondering if you could help me...

    I want to go to college after school and I want to study law. I will work with abused children.
    A lot of people I talked to, including my mom, says I'm crazy- leave it for a man. But the more I pray about it the more I want to do it. I know it's going to be hard but I believe God will give me the strength to do His work. I want to glorify Him with my whole life and I don't want to make a wrong decision about my future.

    Can you give me advice? I know the role of a woman is to be a good wife and mother and a good home-maker... and I want to. But is it wrong for a girl to want to study something like law?

    God bless!
    Erin Davis
    confused
    on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 2:02 pm
    We have actually posted several posts on this very question.

    Here are the links:

    http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/index.php?id=259

    http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/index.php?id=260

    http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/index.php?id=261

    http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/index.php?id=262

    Hope this helps!

    Erin
    maddie w. (wildfire) (luna!!!!)
    hey
    on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 11:48 am
    i want to be either a horse ranch owner, a barrel racer, or a steeplchaser. some of u may not know what the last 2 r but i'll tell u if u ask. i don't know which one i want to be. of course, i horse crazy. but im still jesus crazy. which one?
    Eva
    stuff
    on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 2:18 pm
    Hi everyone,
    I'm having troubles not constantly worrying about my future! I want to go to college for either music or horses but I don't know exactly what in those fields! I'm so confused and when I'm confused I worry and when i worry I eat! it's not a fun cycle!! does anyone have any suggestions for me? I'm doing the LYWB Bible study and i love it!!!
    Anonymous
    Re:
    on Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 12:40 am
    When I see my future, I see myself loving and serving God. It has nothing to do with what I do it is that Christ loves me and that I am his child! Focusing on that rather than the little things is really more important. We will always have faults and problems, and if we try to be "good enough" our own we never will. Jesus already was good enough for us by dying on the cross!
    Jenna
    Marines?
    on Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 4:22 pm
    when i graduate (I'm 14), i plan on going to the Marines. but a few friends of mine, don't think that i would live up to, that I'm not strong enough, that I'd back out at the last minute because I'm too afraid.
    listening to them say that... it hurts me :( it makes me feel like I'm weak. i hate talking about it sometimes because i know what their gonna say. only one of my friends fully support me in this, and that's my best friend Krista.
    one of my friends said, "I'm not gonna let you go, I can't afford to lose you." i just replied back, "well, if it's worth saving my country...there's no way you can stop me.''
    Carrie, with the LYWB team
    Re: Marines?
    on Monday, June 4, 2012 at 7:06 pm
    Having a heart to serve our country is an honorable desire, Jenna. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for those willing to sacrifice so much in order to defend our liberties. So thank you for your love for our country, her people and our freedoms.

    Here’s a cool truth from God’s Word that may help you in responding to your friends. Ephesians 2:10 says, “ For we ( those who have been saved by grace through faith) are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

    You see God not only saves us, but He has a specific plan and purpose for the lives of each one of those who have a personal relationship with Him. So you can rest, Jenna, knowing that if you are seeking the LORD He will guide you on the exact path He has chosen for you.

    So you might say something like this to your friends, “ I’d count it a great privilege to serve in the Marines. I’m not sure what God has for me in the future, but for right now I’m going to trust that He not only knows what is best, but He has a plan for my life that is beyond anything I could imagine.” ( 1 Corinthians 2:9).

    Praying for you tonight, friend ~

Write a comment

Blog Ground-Rules

If you want us to publish your comments, stick to these guidelines:

  1. No crude or profane language.
  2. No hurtful comments targeted at other girls.
  3. No personal information such as email addresses or MySpace and Facebook accounts. (This is for your own protection.)
  4. Protect the innocence of others. (Not everyone has had the same experiences.)

If you have trouble reading the code, click on the code itself to generate a new random code.
Security Code: *
 

© 2008-2011 Revive Our Hearts. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Permissions

A Gospel.com Alliance Member