In the best selling book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Steven Covey says, “Begin with the end in mind.”
(Sorry I don’t recall which habit that is. Probably number two or three.)
In my interpretation, he’s somewhat saying people who live effectively have the ability to project themselves to their death bed and evaluate life from that perspective. Meaning that we value things differently at the end of life as opposed to when we feel like we will live forever.
Pastor and author John Piper sent a tweet a few weeks ago saying something like, “true freedom is doing what you want and not regretting those decisions for a thousand years.” Wow. Now that’s perspective!
Is what you’re doing, deciding or valuing going to stand before the judgment seat of God? Or will your great great great grandchildren be better off, not just materially, but morally and spiritually because the person you chose to become? This past summer, a group of new friends and I decided to share with one another our backgrounds. One guy began his story with six words that I will never forget. He didn’t start with where he was born, nor how his parents met; but started with the life of one of his grandparents and said: “I come from an incredible heritage.”
Now that’s what I pray my grandchildren will say about their background.