You in Five YearsSample

One of the lesser-studied books of the Bible is Titus.

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to Titus after spending time with him in Crete. Paul left Titus in Crete to complete the unfinished work of appointing elders in every town to lead the churches Paul and Titus had established. In Titus 1, Paul listed the characteristics determining whether a person qualified for that role.

My friend, Eric, pointed out a verse from this section that made me laugh. In Titus 1, Paul states, "One of their own has said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.' This testimony is true."

One of the prophets on the island of Crete, speaking about their own people, said, "Cretans are always liars, they're evil beasts, they're lazy gluttons." What does Paul think about this statement? "Yep, pretty much!" When I read this passage, I laughed out loud because I was shocked by the honesty of these verses. While the honesty shocked me, the truth stated here is not shocking.

As time passes, people don't magically change. There's nothing about the passing of one month to the next, much less one year to the next, that guarantees that people will change. In fact, after twenty years of ministry, I would tell you that it's more likely people will stay the same than change.

Levi Lusko, the pastor who inspired this plan, did a sermon series with this same title. He said, "Time doesn't change who you are. It reveals who you are and makes you more of who you are."

In my culture, we have all sorts of phrases to describe the truth Lusko stated. We say things like:

"You can't teach old dogs new tricks."

"You are what you eat."

"You could say you become what you watch."

"You reap what you sow."

In the same way that interest compounds our savings and retirement accounts, our choices also compound. If you were to watch three hours of cable news every day over five years, you would be someone who spent 7.5 months watching cable TV. You will be shaped and become more like what you watch every night than what happens at your church on Sundays or in the Bible app daily.

Have you considered how your phone use is compounding? Many people spend five hours daily on their phones, between social media, playing games, and streaming videos. In five years, you will be someone who spent over a year on your phone, and you will likely need to see a doctor for your neck ache.

In Psalm 90, David wrote that life was short, 70 or 80 years and that it quickly passed away. He then offered a prayer that became famous. "Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts."

You may not be good at math, but I encourage you today to consider your choices and their compounded impact. If you don't like the future you've been investing in, seek God's grace and stop pouring into it.

On the following day of this plan, I'll share a lesson that will forever change how you view a carton of milk.