“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2
A spinning ballerina must focus her eyes on a given point to maintain her balance. Each time she rotates full circle she returns her eyes to the same stationary point with a quick turn of her head. If she didn’t do this she would become dizzy and lose her balance.
I start each day by reading the Bible, focusing on a passage, writing down a thought in my journal, thinking about the upcoming challenges in my day, and praying. Then I set my Bible and journal down, get out of my chair, and launch into my day – a warrior armed and ready for battle.
But a few hours later this warrior is fighting for his life and losing. I’m struggling to keep my focus, getting nowhere, spinning out of control and beating myself up for it. When this happens, I stop and figure out a way to correct my out-of-balance day. I often succeed in getting back on-task, but as the day wears on I get stressed and worn out from all the self-effort.
I have come to realize that a better approach is to have ballerina-like focus; frequently reorienting myself with a quick glance God’s way – a 5-minute stop in my activities to acknowledge God’s presence in my life and ask for His wisdom and strength to carry on. I review the Bible passage I read in the morning and look at what I wrote in my journal. I then carry on with my day – relaxed, energized, and focused.
Lord, help me to recognize when I’m doing life in my own strength and in moments like this grant me your grace to pause and focus on You for wisdom and strength to carry on.
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