Where Are You Looking?

I remember well my driver training as a 16 year old high school student.  Do you?  One thing in particular that I remember is that the teacher emphasized the concept of focusing our eyes on the road ahead as an aid to controlling the car.  He would tell us as young drivers that where we were looking would be where we would tend to steer the car.  Look to the left and you're probably going to steer left.  Be distracted by something to the right and you'll tend to go that way. 

A similar dynamic is at work as we progress along the road of the Christian life, making our way day by day toward the city whose designer and builder is God.  Like Abraham, we ought to fix the eyes of our faith upon the goal even if we don't know where we are going.  Yet in our fallenness and our faithlessness we tend to be distracted by the scenery and all the diversions along the way.  Many are the opportunities to turn aside to the enticements of this world.  Do we not all know first hand the ease with which we find ourselves waylaid in our journey by some promise of pleasure or instant reward?  Or, at the sign of the first hardship or difficulty we want to find an easier way.

My challenge to you today brothers and sisters is to consider where you are looking.  Consider well where you fix your gaze.  Perhaps like Eve, you have set your gaze on some forbidden fruit.  "...when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate..." (Genesis 3:6).  Many are those who turn aside only to find that disaster awaits them.  Proverbs warns us when faced with such a bypath, "Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on," (Proverbs 4:15).  Take heed where you're looking.

Perhaps you're looking around like Peter who when walking on the water toward Jesus, saw the wind and was afraid (Matthew 14:30).  Maybe you're looking around and all you see is what appears to be an out-of-control storm and you too are afraid and your faith is foundering.  Mind where you're looking!

But Christian friend, we must consider carefully where we focus our vision.  The author of Hebrews reminds us in a familiar passage to look to Jesus as we proceed along the journey of  the life of faith (Hebrews 12:2).  We must fix our eyes upon him with an unwavering gaze.  Why look to Jesus?  He is the founder and perfecter of our faith.  He, as our forerunner has already gone ahead of us.  He alone has the power to see our journey through because he is the pioneer of our salvation.  Look to him because he already endured the cross for you and has taken his seat at the Father's right hand.  Look to him when you grow weary and fainthearted along the way and make your way toward your heavenly rest with new hope, not turning to the right or to the left.  

Christian, where are you looking?