John 16:21 – A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.
Mark 10: 21-22 – Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.
As I once again move into a new season of ministry, as exciting as it is, it’s easy to look back and think about what’s behind. Spending some time here in Bogota with friends that are going through some pretty extensive life change, I was encouraged as one of them shared that God had reminded him to stop looking at the things he was losing and look ahead toward the things he would gain.
The rich young ruler didn’t stick around long enough to recognize that his life of giving up everything would lead to so much more. What he would receive would be different than what he had, but it would also be better for him in light of eternity. Jesus’ illustration of the woman in birth also gives us such a clear example – can we look ahead through the difficult moments and trust that what is ahead far exceeds what is behind?
If you are experiencing change today or feeling like you’re leaving things behind (even good things), be encouraged. Focus on what is ahead, not what is behind. In light of eternity, it is worth it!