In the 80s, author Stephen Covey wrote a book called Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The second habit of Covey’s seven is, “Begin with the end in mind.” I often use Covey’s phrase when I coach couples getting ready for marriage. I will ask the couple at the beginning of their marriage to imagine their 50th wedding anniversary, and people from throughout their life together are gathering to celebrate and share their thoughts about them and their marriage. I ask the couple to imagine who is there and what they say. The idea is for them to imagine a future that they want to create for themselves—to begin their marriage with the end in mind (well, not quite the end, but I think you get what I’m saying).
Covey’s phrase and the exercise I do with couples aims to help people begin to make choices and take actions today that create a preferred future tomorrow. The future is coming, but what it will look like depends on our choices today; according to Covey, highly effective people recognize this and respond accordingly. Your preferred future and desired goals will not happen without intentional choices and actions today.
Did you know that as disciples of Jesus, we are meant to be guided by a principle that is like Covey’s habit of “Begin with the end in mind”? As disciples of Jesus, we are meant to live not with the end in mind but with eternity in mind—this is one of the habits of highly successful disciples!
This weekend, as we near the end of our Creed series, we will be talking about our belief in “Life Everlasting.” I hope you’ll join us this Sunday as Pastor Curtis explores what it means to believe in “Life Everlasting” and how what you do today doesn’t just create a preferred future tomorrow; it shapes your eternity.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Kirk
