In the TV show, FlashForward, a global blackout occurs, killing 20 million people as cars crash, airplanes and helicopters fall from the sky, people drown, fall to their death, etc. Those that survive have an amazing experience. They actually see 6 months into the future. And not just any future, but their own future. Their consciousness actually jumps ahead to a specific date 6 months later, where each individual sees what they were doing at that moment.
Have you ever wondered what your future would be like? What if you actually saw your future? What if you actually caught a glimpse of your own future? How would you respond? What emotions would you feel? Would you be happy by what you saw? Would you be sad? Excited? Fearful? Perhaps it would be too much of a wake up call, to actually see our future.
In this series we talked about three main areas where our choices greatly affect our futures. There are certainly many more avenues we could have gone with this concept, but the three that we talked about specifically at Adrenaline were pertinent to our students.
2. 6 Months of Unguarded Relationships
Relationships are the number one thing that takes teenagers away from God. Whether it’s a close friend who is a negative influence, or a dating relationship, I have seen more students get taken out over relationships, the latter more than the former.
A. Unguarded Friendships. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again. Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future. The close friends that you associate with greatly determine the outcome of your life, good or bad. I turned out pretty good due in large part to the close friends I had in high school and college. They were godly, hungry, passionate people. That caused me to be godly, hungry, and passionate.
Too many teenagers are simply reactive when it comes to their close friends. They let people in who accept them, instead of thinking through as they watch the other person’s habits, values, morals, etc. They don’t realize that that person will greatly influence their future, as they influence their decision making.
B. Unguarded Affections
Proverbs 4.23 tells us, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” There is nothing more valuable to you and to God than your heart, and when you give your heart away unguarded, you are trainwrecking your future. Who you give your heart to is the second most important decision you will ever make in your entire life. It would be wise to make that decision effectively.
If you had a FlashForward about a relationship and saw where it would lead, how would that change that relationship? I know far too many teenagers that walked away from God over a relationship, because they just HAD to be with this person. From the outside, you could tell this person was not the one that God had for them, but they went for them anyways.
God has an amazing pattern for matchmaking that we find in Genesis 2.
“God said, ‘It’s not good for the Man to be alone; I’ll make him a helper, a companion.’…Then God put the Man into a deep sleep. As he slept, God removed one of his ribs and replaced it with flesh. God then used the rib that He had taken from the Man to make Woman and presented her to the Man. The Man said, ‘Finally! Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh! I will name her ‘Woman’ for she was made from Man.’ Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh.”
Genesis 2.18-24
We see an incredible three step process here that God takes every person on.
1. Adam first met his MASTER. Adam had to know his Master long before he would know his mate. Work on your relationship with God first.
2. Adam then did his MISSION. God created Adam to have fellowship with Himself. Then he gave him a mission. Name all the animals in the garden, and take care of it! Adam was on mission when God brought his mate.
3. Adam was asleep when God brought his MATE. God decided that Adam needed a mate, but He didn’t bring her until He put Adam to sleep. Most times, God will bring the right person along for you when you are busy knowing your Master and doing your mission. That way you aren’t looking for a mate, and God is allowed to bring them along for you.
This is exactly how it happened with Malia and I. We were both in love with Jesus, doing what God had called us to do when He brought us together.
If you want to meet your mate, focus on knowing your Master first, and do what He has called you to do. Then when you aren’t looking, He’ll bring them along when the time is right.
PT
Read FlashForward Part 1 and FlashForward Part 3 of this series