Walk Straight Ahead

  • DON'T LOOK DOWN|

On a day out at the beach with my kids, I was chatting to my 15 year old son. It was a windy but sunny afternoon and he was casually walking with me... I was on the path, he was up on the sea wall. A few minutes had passed when I suddenly realised that on the other side of this sea wall was a 3 or 4 metre drop.

Whilst he wasn’t walking a tightrope, what he was doing was not at all safe and definitely not for the fainthearted.

‘It’s fine Dad, you just keep looking forward to where you’re going’ he said as he nonchalantly jumped back down to the path. It made me think of Peter walking on the water. It was his own idea too (Matthew 14:28).

All he had to do was keep looking ahead at the destination, Jesus. Simple! Yet circumstances got to him, fear got in and he started to sink. In sports psychology, one of the basic principles is to focus on the goal, the tennis ball over the net, the body over the high jump, etc. Sports people carefully visualise what they want to happen and the results can be amazing. How much more amazing would this approach be for us as Christians when coupled with faith?

Focus on the goal - Jesus

  • Listen to what He says
  • Do what he says and don’t look down
  • Repeat

God created man to walk upright and straight and yet as we all know, man has this unfailing tendency to mess up. This stems from Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden and has resulted in a world of billions of people who are incapable of walking and living straight. In the midst of the billions though, we have Jesus, the one person who walked straight, perfectly and without sin. He came to change our way of life through repentance and because of His sacrifice on the cross, humanity now has a bridge to God and a way to walk straight and upright again with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Focus on Jesus and your life will change. If you ever wonder how you are changing, just compare yourself to the world and it’s crooked values. Everything the world values: money, position, honour, certainty (to name a few). They’re either not important or at odds with God’s values.

Don't look down. Press on

If we are experiencing tribulation, increasingly standing out from the crowd, feeling uncertain or uncomfortable, we as followers of Christ are probably heading in the correct direction.

This world is failing but God is sovereign and Jesus is all we need. Things will continue to become more unsteady and anti - God by the day, but chin up, look up and focus on the goal, Jesus. He is jealous for our full attention and He doesn’t want anything or anyone to come in between you and Him.

Don’t look down. £I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14 'I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation. But take courage: I have overcome the world!' John 16:33

  • * Robbie Albery, Worship Leader, PRNTN|