Begin with the end in mind

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2

I’m not sure when I first heard or read Stephen Covey’s Habit 2 - “Begin with the end in mind”, but it has stuck in my memory. Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” was a bestseller when it was released back in 1989. It is a catchy phrase that serves as a practical reminder of the power of vision and importance of transformation. No matter what we are today, we are not yet all that we can be. No matter where we are in our journey, our destination has not yet been fully realized. In some ways, Covey was restating the wisdom of the epistle written by the beloved disciple. John begins with an affirmation of “who” we are and “whose” we are. We are the children of God. It’s a great comfort for us to know that we are the children of God today. Yet, our vision has not been fully realized. It’s not possible for us to grasp the full reality of our future with God today. We can look forward with great anticipation to the day that we will see Christ. Now, our perspective is limited. Then, our vision will be clear. “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is”. Begin each day with the end in mind and be inspired to become more like Jesus.