MINDSET…WAYPOINTS
Navigating the Journey with God Beyond the Past
Definition:
way·point /ˈweɪˌpɔɪnt/
A point of reference used for navigation; a stopping place on a journey.
A waypoint marks where you’ve been, not where you’re meant to stay. It’s a reference point that helps you see your progress and remember your direction—but it’s never the destination.
Our faith journey works the same way. God gives us moments of revelation, victory, and encounter to guide us forward—not to keep us anchored in the past.
Anchored or Advancing?
Recently, I found myself in conversation with friends about mindset—how easily we can get stuck in our own patterns of thought.
We all have spiritual or emotional waypoints: significant moments, seasons, or breakthroughs that left a mark on our lives. But sometimes, instead of using those moments as springboards, we turn them into anchors.
We keep looking back—trying to re-create an old feeling, re-hear an old word, or re-live an old miracle.
And in doing so, we miss the new thing God is doing right now.
“It’s hard to move forward when your heart keeps staring in the rearview mirror.”
When God Speaks Differently
A friend once shared how her daughter felt God wasn’t speaking to her anymore.
But the truth was, God had never stopped. She was simply expecting Him to speak the same way He always had.
She was looking for old patterns—dreams, visions, familiar promptings—but God was speaking through sermons, her mother’s words, gentle reminders, and even silence.
Because her mindset was fixed on how God had spoken before, she couldn’t perceive the new ways He was speaking now.
A Reminder from Isaiah
In Isaiah 43, God reminded His people not to cling to past miracles:
“But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun!
Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
— Isaiah 43:18–19 (NLT)
The Israelites kept looking back at the Red Sea miracle, expecting God to move the same way again.
But this time, God wanted to do the opposite: to make rivers in a desert instead of dry ground through the sea.
If they stayed focused on the past, they’d miss the fresh move right in front of them.
God’s faithfulness doesn’t change—but His methods often do.
Moving Beyond the Waypoints
The waypoints of our lives—those moments when we saw God move—are sacred. They remind us of His goodness and guide our faith.
But they’re not meant to be our permanent campsites.
There are times when God allows us to “set up camp” for a season of rest or growth.
Yet, there also comes a time to break camp and move on—to follow the next path He’s illuminating.
To walk in step with Him, we must remain open, alert, and willing to see beyond our own expectations.
We must let God out of the boxes we’ve placed Him in…and let Him do something new within us.
Final Thought
“Waypoints are meant to mark the journey, not define it.”
Don’t let past moments of encounter become limits on what God can do next.
Let go of the fixed mindsets and old patterns that keep you circling the same ground.
When you move beyond your waypoints, you make room for God to take you somewhere new—to do life anew.
💭 Reflection Prompt
What old experience, mindset, or “waypoint” have you been revisiting that might be keeping you from seeing what God is doing now?