20/20
“Hindsight is 20/20.” This popular saying means that it’s easier to know the right thing to do after something has happened or, in other words, after it’s too late. The opposite of hindsight would be foresight, and foresight is the ability to predict, know, or see what will happen. Wouldn’t it be easier if we could have foresight rather than hindsight? Wouldn’t it be nice if the saying was, “Foresight is 20/20”? It would sure cut down on mistakes, especially stupid ones. Well, it’s the year 2020, and it seems as good a time as any to try for this 20/20 vision. But how?
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
The story of the Bible is about God moving closer to His people in three ways: first, in His presence near us; then, in His Son walking as a person among us; then, the Holy Spirit living in us. God has given us the Holy Scriptures to guide and instruct, to point out what is wrong in our lives, and to correct us and to teach us. It is our instruction manual for life. Forget any “self-help” books you may find or be gifted for this new year. The Bible isn’t about self-help; we learn from the Scriptures that we can’t help ourselves—it’s all about God-help.
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23)
“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Only God can fix this brokenness. It takes surrender to Christ, confession, and repentance of sin, and we can begin to live according to God’s instruction for us. In the first Psalm, David wrote about meditating on God’s word day and night; he knew what some are still struggling to learn: the answers lie within the Scriptures. What’s striking is how little people often read them. The 2019 Discipleship Pathway Assessment study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research found that only 30% of churchgoers under 50 read their Bible every day. We’ve been given an instruction manual for this life but the reality is that we don’t read it. Can we change that in 2020? Our problems and questions won’t go away, but the Truth of the Bible has answered the questions of more than thousands of people across thousands of years.
“When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.” (Psalm 32:3-4)
Another way we can have 20/20 foresight is by learning from the mistakes of those who have come before us. As we read about the heroes in the Bible, we can learn from their sin struggles and mistakes so that we don’t end up making the same ones. Take King David for example. He obeyed his lustful desires and then tried to cover up his sinful actions; he tried to solve his problems without God. When we obey our sinful desires and refuse to confess them, we are doing the same thing: trying to solve the problems without God. God’s solution to sin is clear: confession and repentance. The solution is not denying our sin or belittling it or lying and covering it up—but that’s often how we handle it.
“Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.” (Psalm 32:5)
“Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” (Psalm 32:2)
Make 2020 the year you are done with secrets. Live in complete honesty and be done covering up your sins that you have not confessed. Let them all out so that you can receive forgiveness and finally be on the path to leaving those sins behind. Use this 20/20 hindsight from David’s story as 20/20 foresight in your own. Don’t give in to your lustful desires! Confess your sin to those you have sinned against! If we study the Scriptures and learn what God has to teach us through them, we can live with 20/20 vision on the past and have a better understanding of the choices we should make for the future.
“‘If you love me, keep my commands.’” (John 14:15)
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)
Are you doing what the Bible says or are you only listening? James says if all you do is listen to the Scriptures then you are deceiving yourself. Anybody can just listen; it takes a real commitment to obedience to do what the Scriptures instruct. Make 2020 a year of action. Don’t just read and listen about confession and repentance: do them! Don’t just listen to what Jesus has to say about loving your neighbor and loving your enemies: do it! Both of these verses would be excellent resolutions for 2020: to keep God’s commands and do what the Scriptures say. If you can commit to these two things this year you’ll have no regrets in 2020. The Bible is our instruction manual for life, filled with people who have made mistakes that we can learn from. Make 2020 the year you live in obedience to God, not only listening to the Scriptures but putting their instruction into action.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
—Redeemed
