Remember those Bupa ads on TV (Meet the Healthier You) where the women meets her future self walking along the footpath, or in a café? Her future self looks fit and healthy and, well, her present self isn’t doing so well. Or the reverse scenario where a young business guy walking in the mall sees his future self who is overweight and clearly unfit. Both of these scenarios are somewhat emotional “reunions” (don’t know what else to call them, really) of present self meeting possible future self – for better or for worse – and there is plenty of shock and awkwardness. The future self feels very concerned for present self, or the present self is immediately concerned for future self – these are warnings about now, and what could eventuate down the track.
These Bupa ads are very clever. They get you visualising a future health and well-being condition you really need to have, or a future you don’t want to come to fruition. The whole point of the ads – apart from getting you to sign up to their healthy living program to ensure a better future – is aimed at getting us to take stock of ourselves now. And then, making the decision to change what definitely needs changing before it’s too late; or keep up the disciplined good work we are doing now so that we continue to do well health wise well into the future, and not end up in a dire state.
The future is not far away.
It tends to arrive more rapidly than we expect.
The Bupa ads employ fantasy scenarios to get us to think. Of course, no one can predict the future or presume to know with any certainty what our lives will actually be like in say, 10 years’ time. We have no idea about what is ahead of us. A few weeks’ ago I got a newsletter from a fellow minister and church consult who kind of did a “Bupa” on his newsletter recipients, but with a twist. John Finkelde (from “Grow a Healthy Church”) writes a letter to himself from his future self in 10 years’ time. Strange, I know, but is worth staying with me, I promise. John starts, thus:
“Dear John. G’day from your future. Yes, that’s right I am writing to you from your future. It’s your future, which I must say is brighter than what you think it will be. I thought I’d jump back in time and offer you some timely advice that will help you have even a better life.
Your Family: John, as I sit here in your future it’s important that I tell you that your family will mean much more to you than you currently realise. You will discover that many people will come and go from your life but your family will remain. Protect your family relationships. Love your family like there’s no tomorrow. Consider adultery worse than the black plague. Resolve to not destroy your family with this immoral curse. You will see way too many wise, smart and gifted people destroy their futures with unrestrained sexual appetites – and other things. Decide now that you will not be amongst that number.”
John goes on to proffer advice to himself from his future self on his marriage, and warns that disappointments will surely come. But the advice from his future self is not to overwhelm or depress present John, but to forewarn him and to be prepared for these, and so use them to build resilience. He touches on other issues, too. It might seem to be a humorous exercise, but as I read his letter, John mades some poignant and sobering observations. It was not a joke, really.
All this got me to thinking about what my future self in, say, 10 years’ time, would say to my present self if he could write a letter to me. What would I be saying to myself as I sit here reading my own advice and life perspectives from 10 years hence? I think I’d echo John Finkelde’s advice on family and marriage. I think I’d write to myself and say, “Milton, you’re passionate for the things of God right now, you love Jesus with such passion, the Word too, I love that about you, but you are not nearly as impassioned as you need to become from where I sit writing this. The world is changing much faster than you realise, and right now it is time to maintain and protect your passion and let nothing – NOTHING! – compromise it. Passion is a finite thing, Milton. Don’t squander it on things that do not matter in the end. Time is so short. Passion for Jesus keeps fuelling faith, a faith that is capable of great sacrifice when needed for the call you have been given. Keep pressing in, now is not the time to flag ….
Perhaps my future self would offer me something like this, too. “Milton, souls are still the most precious things on earth in the eyes of God – especially, those who are lost to the Father. Keep pressing to connect with souls with grace and generosity, and mercy and kindness. Never tire of this. Never, never give up on people, even if they hurt you. For, in eternity, nothing will matter more to the Father than those you have turned to Jesus and are there with Him forever. Do not let busyness and the organisational machinery of church stuff steal away your time and resources from the vital pursuit of the lost ones. Remember the one and the ninety-nine! Nothing matters more to the shepherd! Stay the course, even when it seems useless or disappointing, the Spirit is at work with the smallest glass of water. Pursue souls with vigour while it is day, for night is coming – and no one will be able to work then.”
I wonder if my future self would also write, “Milton, the greater things in God for you are just ahead – I know! So, now is the time to go deeper with Him … deeper than you have ever been before. Pursue Him now night and day! Remember the psalmist who cried out in ecstatic praise and delight as he suddenly discovered, ‘Deep calls to deep!’ There is so much more for you to know of the Father in the years just ahead. The psalmist also observed that God showed His deeds to the people but showed His ways to Moses. He will show you more and more of His ways to you and these are astonishing. Go deep and keep going deep …”
I think future me would urge me to intercede like never before, too. And to preach the Word as passionately and as uncompromisingly as ever I have – the true Gospel!
There are many possibilities, I guess. These things I share here are just the prophetic imaginings of what my future self might say to me tonight, if that were possible, as I write for your encouragement. Dear friends, what would your future self write to you right now in a letter? Would you point out to yourself that if your priorities do not change now, there will be many lost opportunities in God that could have been yours – in a few years those windows will be closed. These can never be recovered. There are some things God only does once. Would your future self urge you to redeem the time by reprioritising your life and family around the critical, eternity issues, while you can. In five, or ten years’ time you cannot recover what has been lost or wasted. Would future you write you a shocking letter about how far you have fallen, or have drifted from Jesus, or made such bad decisions leaving you damaged and in sorrow? Would your future you encourage you to keep doing what you are doing now, and share their gratitude for remaining steadfast.
Now is them time to sit down and pray, and write a letter to yourself from future self – just prayerfully do the exercise – and see what Holy Spirit might inspire you to say. You only have now. We need to make wise decisions now, and stick with them – your future you depends on what you decide and do, today.
Hebrews 3:7-8 (NIV)
So, as Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear His voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion …”
Think seriously on these things.
Ps Milton
[Sources: “Grow a Healthy Church” newsletter, Feb. 14 2025; Bible references: Ephesians 5:23; Luke 15:4ff; John 9:4; Psalm 42:7; Ephesians 5:6; Hebrews 3:7-8]