Christian journey points to both directions: backward and forward. We look backward with gratitude; we look forward with faith. John Piper writes:
Gratitude embraces a person with glad affections for past goodwill aimed at helping us; and faith embraces a person with glad affection for future promises aimed at helping us.
Since every moment is the beginning of the rest of your life, and every moment is the end of the past, every moment should be governed by the glad affections of both gratitude and faith.[1]
When we look back, we say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Ps. 23:6a). When we look forward, we say, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Prov. 16:9). Gratitude affirms the goodness and providence of God in life. When Joseph looked back, he said to his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Gen. 50:20a). The goodness and providence of God was shown in Joseph’s gratitude. When Joseph said that, it took him many years to draw such a theological conclusion.
“Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb. 11:6). Those who seek the Lord will find. “You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord…” (Jer. 29:13-14a). Seeking God requires faith with all our hearts. It’s a promise with a condition. The promise is real and out there, for God does not and cannot lie (Num. 23:19; Heb. 6:18). However, we must claim it with earnestness.
Gratitude is one of the humblest affections; and faith is one of the boldest. Just think what kind of people we would be in the next year for the cause of Christ if we were continually humbled by our backward look of gratitude and continually emboldened by our forward look of faith! No, don’t just think about it. Pursue it—with all your mind and all your heart.[2]
The prepositional phrase for the cause of Christ sets the right tone for backward and forward looking. It also gives us a right motivation to pursue it.
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