“Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and a half years!”

It’s hard, but not impossible to make prognostications about future trends and we will be right some percentage of the time.  But, to make predictions that are counter to trends that we see now or expect to emerge, well that takes guts and the risk of being right is much .  We all know plenty of people around us who can stand around and be dark and gloomy, predicting the worse.  Unfortunately, they will be right at some point like the weather forecaster who always predicts some chance or rain…yes, it will rain at some point, so he/she can say they were right.  But, to find people in our companies who see the future in a totally different light and predict that the trends will take a 90 degree turn, well, those people are precious and if  fortunate enough to have one or more of them, then do all you can to hold onto them and keep them thinking and talking!  Those companies who set the trends, not just follow are the leaders of tomorrow.  When we were all writing long and exhaustive blogs and posts, who would have thought that 140 character real-time messaging would make sense.  Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone thought so…thus Twitter.

It’s not hard for us as believers to know what the counter trends are all around us.  Our workplaces are consistent with competition, backbiting, negativity, speaking ill will of others, etc.  Yet, our faith is grounded in love, humility, encouragement, grace, forgiveness and positive words.  When we stand and act upon our values and beliefs we are counter trending and this is noticed.  It’s that easy, and that hard.  Will you find yourself  going with or being counter to the trends around you?

Reference: James 5:17 (New Living Translation)