Keeping our eyes on Jesus will lead us to where He wants us to go.
Perched atop the hard metal bleachers, I gazed across the riding ring to my young daughter sitting on the beautiful black pony.
The sweltering summer heat hung heavy as she plodded through her horseback riding lesson. The instructor reminded my 8-year-old to fix her eyes where she intended to go. If she wanted her horse to turn left, she needed to look left.
“Your body tends to follow where your eyes are looking,” her instructor called out.
Looking down leads the horse to stop, thwarting forward progress.
I was struck by how gazing downward affects my own daily progress. I can relate as a homeschool mom who works full time. Homeschooling kids while juggling clients can be rewarding, but hard.
Days filled with hope quickly fall off track. A hard lesson. Grouchiness. A schedule that goes sideways. Before I know it, I’m edgy and discouraged, knowing my carefully planned day is unraveling. I focus on my problem. My proverbial horse stops moving forward.
God knew we would struggle with this. That’s why His word reminds us to focus on Jesus, not our struggles.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2a (emphasis mine).
These verses remind me of several things:
· I am not alone in my journey; I am surrounded by those cheering me on.
· Things will try to trip me up; I must be ready to avoid the missteps.
· God meant for me to be on this path. Problems don’t change that.
· I must keep my eyes on Jesus. My hope is in Him alone, not the path or plan.
I realized that one hiccup doesn’t have to harness the whole day. My daughter may have momentarily looked down at the dirt. But redirecting her gaze led her pony to progress.
The same goes for us. Our plans ultimately come from God. He orders our steps. Keeping our eyes on Jesus will lead us to where He wants us to go.
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