I’ve been thinking about the “10,000 causes upstream” concept. Everything that happens in our lives has a HUGE back story. Maybe it helps explain the polarization in our world today. Past influences, victories, hurts…all converge to produce our viewpoints. Yet…they don’t predetermine our viewpoints. We have agency.
I share similar backgrounds with a lot of people, yet we’ve landed on opposite points of view. It must have to do with our different lenses on our 10,000 things. For example, my 10,000 things as an evangelical have led me to the political stance I hold today. It’s not the stance most Americans associate with the word “evangelical” these days, but it’s where my understanding of the Gospel has led me.
I have a friend who has 10,000 reasons to be a bitter man, but he’s full of love. I have another friend who’s rich in life’s blessings, but is full of anger.
Maybe it’s about giving our 10,000 things to God. Counting our upstream blessings. Letting him do mid-stream healing on causes that harmed us. And downstream?
For me, it’s this. “My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
And…I could give you 10,000 examples of his grace.