Whatchu Lookin' At? (Part 1)

Excuse the bad language of the title...it's just a common expression used that I think demonstrates the main point of this blog.

"My son, pay attention to what I say; listen close to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them in within your heart.; for they are life to those that find them, and health to man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk from your lips. LET YOUR EYES LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD, FIX YOUR GAZE DIRECTLY BEFORE YOU." --Proverbs 4:20-25

This blog will be focused mainly on verse 25....part 2 will deal with verse 23.

When I was younger (around elementary, middle school age), I had a core group of friends. It was the four of us. We went to church together; Barbara and I went to the same school in 8th grade. Our parents worked in ministry together. You could say that we were the best of friends, for the most part. What is very interesting to me is how at least once a year, the four of us would have this big falling out. Usually, it would start by one person saying something negative about another person in the group, and then the person who was told the negative thing would run and tell someone else in the group. Of course, by the time it got back to the person, the story had been misconstrued, pieces added and missing. Long story but I promise it has a point. I can now truthfully admit that sometimes I was the one who started the mess. Most of the time, it was out of jealousy. You see, I was the only "dark-skinned" girl out of this group of four. The other 3 were at least of a caramel complexion and were very pretty (in my eyes). I always looked at them and wanted to be their complexion, or wanted something they had, or wanted to be liked by the boys who liked them. It was always something.

So you're probably asking what this has to do with anything. Well, one thing I know I still struggle with and I know many others struggle with also is looking at others. It's almost like an unspoken competition. Will I look "fly-er" than her in church on Sunday? Is she prettier than me? Will he like her more or me? Does he write better than me? Etc, etc, etc. The list never ends. If you're sitting here thinking to yourself that you've never had these thoughts or similar ones, you're lying. Be truthful with yourself. Why do we feel the need, friends, to constantly be looking at other people? We look at others in comparison, we look to others for validation, we look at others for ideas, we look at others to see what not to do. We're so absorbed in looking at others and what they're doing and we're too concerned in how others are looking at us. It's craziness. Recently, as God has been pouring back into me my desire to write, I have been looking at other people's writing (as I would assume any writer would do...simply for the love of it). And I find myself sometimes thinking, "Lord, I can't write as good as ________." or "I don't have as much eloquence as __________." And then God has to remind me, "So He said to me, This is the Word of the Lord unto Zerrubabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.' says the Lord God Almighty." --Zechariah 4:6. Any gift, talent, or knowledge I have comes from God. It is not for me to give it a value, it's not for me to compare and contrast my gifts with others' gifts, it's simply for me to use whatever He's given to me to His glory. If people don't understand or appreciate your gift, that's ok. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time." --I Peter 5:6. Whatever you do, follow the words of verse 25 of Proverbs 4, keep your eyes looking straight ahead. Don't look to see what BooBoo is doing....don't look to see what Pookie is wearing.....don't look to see how Pootah is writing. Just be concerned with what God has called you to do and who He's called you to be.

Last illustration (and I promise I'm done for today). I heard this from a preacher (I can't remember who. It might have been my Daddy. He says a lot of great things.). When horses race, the riders put blinders on the horses' eyes. The purpose of the blinders is so that the horses can't look to their sides, they can only look straight ahead to the course they're running. Since we, as Christians, are running a race, I would like to propose that we do the same thing. We should put on our spiritual blinders as we run the race. Only being able to look straight ahead keeps you from being easily distracted by things on the sidelines and who is gaining on you and what not. It allows you to be focused on the most important thing--the prize (Jesus Christ).

"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 perserverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." --Hebrews 12:1-2

Look at HIM. He's looking at you.

Phileo Love,
Ash B.