Learning - by Laura Duke

Seatbelt on. Adjust my mirrors. Turn on the car. Handbrake off, put the car in to 'drive'. Check my mirrors. No cars coming? Good. Move my foot to the accelerator. Gently now, try not to jolt too much. Ok, we're moving. This is good. The car crawls along the deserted side street while my heart races like it's about to win the Melbourne Cup. I don't know the names of any car races.

I hated learning to drive. My instructor is patient as a learn how to control the car. I jerk around the road, trying so hard to stay in the centre of the lane. "Look at where you're going" says my instructor. "Don't focus on where you are. When you look one metre ahead of where you are, you need to constantly keep adjusting to make sure you're in the centre of the lane. Look a hundred metres ahead and focus on getting there".

'Are you sure?' I thought. But I tried to do as I was told. It was hard work at first. I felt like I was giving up my control. I had to concentrate on keeping my focus further ahead. But you know what? It worked! I was able to stay in the centre of the lane and was no longer constantly needing to adjust the steering wheel. No more jerking awkwardly from side to side.

How can I live a good life? Don't lie. Be kind. Don't be greedy. Be a better friend. Do more. Sin less. We can spend our lives constantly working to 'stay in the centre of the lane', constantly trying to do the right thing, but it's so hard. We end up drifting over to the side, overcorrecting, making mistakes and scribbling all over the place in a well-intentioned, flustered mess.

The Bible, in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, advises us not to fix our eyes on what is seen, for that is temporary, but on what is unseen, for that is eternal.

James 4:14 informs us that our lives on earth (although they seem long and important and full of weighty decisions), are actually just a mist that appears for a while and then vanishes.

Could things really be smoother if I take my eyes off what's immediately in front of me and fix them upon my eternal destination instead?

Would it really make a difference if I learn to gaze upon Christ and his glorious position at the right hand of the Father in Heaven?

Let's try it together.

Lord, please teach and guide me by your Holy Spirit. Help me to take my eyes off the plans and goals I've set up as idols in my life; a good job, roomy house, comfortable retirement plan. Help me to see that in reality they are nothing more than a mist. Teach me to lift my eyes to You, my Saviour and eternal resting place. I ask that you strengthen me to keep my eyes on the prize and to run the race and never give up.

Hebrews 12:1-3 We have many people of faith around us. Their lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way. And we should remove the sin that so easily catches us. 2 Let us look only to Jesus. He is the one who began our faith, and he makes our faith perfect. Jesus suffered death on the cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing. He did this because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus. He held on patiently while sinful men were doing evil things against him. Look at Jesus’ example so that you will not get tired and stop trying.