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"Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."
(2 Timothy 4:8)
The word onward is much like the word forward. Both words are positive, optimistic, and looking ahead to brighter days.
Howard Schultz took Starbucks from 4 stores to a world-wide business phenomenon. He was the CEO from 1986 to 2000 and then again from 2008 until 2017. But like any success story, they had their fair share of setbacks and difficulties. In fact, when he became the leader of Starbucks again in 2008, they were at a low point and losing ground quickly. When times were bleak, Schultz determined to be positive and forward in his thinking.
Leaders set the pace or the room temperature. If you are a leader and reading this devotion today, let me encourage you to not cave in to negativity, but instead, be positive, and help people see ahead to brighter and better days. Yes, be that kind of leader!
Schultz decided to end his letters and emails with one word, and that word captured the essence of his belief in the company and his belief that better days were surely to come. What was that one word? Onward. In fact, the title of the book with its subtitle is Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul.
In his book, The One Thing, Gary Keller states that every day and throughout his day, he asks himself this question: "What's the ONE thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?" (page 113) The beautiful thing about Christianity is that we all have the same goal: Jesus is our goal. But we all have a well-tailored plan from God for our lives that we are to find and pursue. It will look similar to everyone else but markedly different, because we all differ in our gifts and abilities.
In our biblical text for today, the Apostle Paul is excited for what is to come. True, he is awaiting execution and will die soon at the hands of Nero. But his current predicament could not deter him from looking ahead. He would keep pressing onward and upward until that great day Jesus welcomed him home.
How are you doing? Are you suffering from being negative and only focusing on what has happened to you? This week, we have looked at the power of being positive, pressing onward, looking upward, and moving forward in our lives. I encourage you to ask God to help change your attitude, and do not be surprised if He leads you to serve someone or share the Gospel with them. Yes, it will bless others, but it will also encourage you!
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