I think sometimes life feels like it doesn’t move forward when you go through the same struggles year after year. We look at ourselves and feel like we haven’t moved forward in life because our circumstances look exactly the same — same financial problems, same career status, same living situation, same relationship issues. The feeling of life not moving on although time and age has moved on is one of the worst feelings.
But I think our movement in life is not indicated by the change of circumstances but by the change of our hearts and minds. The important thing is whether we as persons grow through our circumstances even when our circumstances don’t seem like they’re moving. The real question is, are we as persons moving? Are we growing in our thoughts, understandings, beliefs, perceptions, insights, feelings, love, faith, hope, and choices. There are many things that we are powerless to change in our life circumstances, but the non-changing nature of our circumstances shouldn’t preclude us from changing as people. As long as we grow, we are moving forward in life even if it feels like life isn’t moving forward. We may even be surprised to see that when we change some of our circumstances may follow suit. But in the end, God won’t ask us to give a report about our circumstances but about who we were and what we did with the circumstances we were in. I believe the quality of a life is not measured by what’s outside of a person but by what’s inside of a person. I think what’s on the outside is often an opportunity for what’s on the inside to grow and show.
Brian See Chan 