Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?

Psalm 21

This was a question asked in technical college. It was also asked in a message in Bible college. It has been asked in job interviews. Most recently I had that question posed to me by one of my sons, only the time span was three years. When you get older that time span shortens. Where do you see yourself? What do you plan to be? Or be like? And what do you plan to do with your stuff? While the answers can get quite uncomfortable the older you are, you may think back as a twenty year old and remember seeing a five year plan, ten years, even twenty years. In a way its like getting married in your twenties so "til death do you part" is sometime in the distant future. When you're a widower remembering what would have been your forty-fifth wedding anniversary your perspective of your future on this earth drastically changes.

When Jesus begins His prayer in John 17 it's like He steps out of himself and addresses the Father-Son relationship even to go as far as addressing from an external view the Father, and whom he sent, Jesus Christ. And just shortly after that He refers to the glory He had with the Father before the world was; not before the foundation of the world, but before the world was. This prayer recorded was one of several that night before Jesus was crucified. But the next day was already in their plans, the plans of the Father and Son before the foundation of the world. But then asking Jesus at that moment where does He see himself in five years? Actually from the beginning of His ministry only three years prior His five year plan remained the the same. There was much Jesus experienced as fully human on this earth, but He knew from His youth He must be about His Father's business.

All this is a needful prelude to asking, could Jesus have prayed Psalm 21 as an earnest prayer. John 17 captures His prayer, His thoughts before the crucifixion here Psalm 21 seems to be something Jesus may have prayed after the resurrection. Yes, He had a glorified body, but He was still fully human. Yes, the Father had raised Him from the dead, but He proved to the disciples he was not a ghost by eating fish with them. At this point I can hear the wheels grinding in the minds of snack shop theologians to explore the depths of the humanity of Christ after the resurrection, but as concerning Psalm 21 David addresses the King's relationship with the Lord. And stepping back as He did in John 17 He could have as well stepped back to see Himself in relation to where He would shortly be seated at the right hand of God the Father as king. But then also to the distant future when He will put all things under His feet as the eternal King.

The challenge I was given by my son was, where do you see yourself if you remain unchanged as you are? Where do I see myself if I affect positive changes? And by comparison I must ask myself, after seeing the plans Jesus had how do I pattern my plans after His. What do I need to change to be where I want to be in five years?

The King shall reioice in thy strength, O Lord: yea how greatly shall he reioice in thy salvation! Thou hast given him his hearts desire, and hast not denied him the request of his lips. Selah.

Psalms 21:1 - 2 GNV