Forward Facing

“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols...For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭17:16, 21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/act.17.16,21.nkjv
Lessons from experiences and interactions with people and places in the past are not always resourceful to a progressive adventures, especially when they provoke malice, resentment, and discouragement. While old oppositions are always singular in their objective of closing new opportunities, forward facing men deactivate the memory of old oppositions in order to keep their eyes on new opportunities. For example, while waiting for the reunion with his dispersed colleagues at Athen, Paul was provoked to engage the Athenians in their worship places and marketplace with the gospel message. Resentment and discouragement by the consistent actions of the Jews in such settings at Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea could have hindered this initiative. And that would have prevented the discovery of the unique philosophy of the Athenians and their foreigners. Irrespective of the ugliness in every past experience with people and places, there are always new opportunities in every new day. Unfortunately, only a forward facing attitude can possibly turn the tide of old oppositions in life into new opportunities.

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