The church I pastor is a smaller building with stained glass window, a stained wood ceiling, and high-wood beams throughout the structure. Recently I found myself in a compromising position of sorts. We have been installing new stage lights and speakers to the ceiling. Somehow, our projector was jostled causing the entire projection to seem unfocused, grainy, and not set within the boundaries of the actual screen. Knowing the issue had to be addressed, I had a friend come help me accomplish the task. I set the 12 ft ladder on the stage and began my ascent. Folks, I don’t care for heights. If I’m in a secure area with rails or some kind of protection, I’m not as bothered. But when I get in unstable situations, naturally, I get freaked out. I noticed very early on, if I kept my eyes looking above me rather than below (where the hard floor beckoned me to fall), I was ok. Any time I looked down it was a reminder of my distance solid ground. That reminder paired with my shaky legs were the perfect recipe for an accident. Determined to finish and get down, I set aside my fear and pressed forward to finish my task. When I finally made it back to the bottom I was happier than a fat kid at a dessert buffet. Not to mention, I simply felt accomplished by overcoming my fear to complete the task.
It’s easy to allow ourselves to get too involved with the problems that arise on earth. As Believers, we tend to get too caught up what’s going wrong around us we fail to keep our eyes focused on things above. When something does goes wrong, we panic and begin questioning how God could ever fix or rescue us from that particular situation. Here’s the crazy part, if our eyes had been focused on God to begin with we probably never would have become so worried. Colossians 3:1-2 states, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” When I read this scripture I was reminded of the old hymn that says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.” When we have our eyes set on Him, we won’t notice the stresses of this world nearly as much. If we’re His, He’s already promised to take care of us. Why waste our time worrying when we can spend it worshipping Him?
Closing remarks and encouragement: When things go wrong -and things WILL go wrong-it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. Set your eyes on things above and watch as God does the miraculous in your life! Worrying does nothing more than consume your energy mentally, spiritually, and physically. Just keep looking up!!!
Photo by Enrique Fernandez on Unsplash