I drove down the road bouncing to the beat of the music…
I’d just downloaded all my music to my new smartphone, and it was playing back through the car’s speakers…
I don’t like that song. I’ll just change to a new playlist…
How does that work on this phone?
Let’s see… click the “Back” button, then the “Playlist” button, then…
There was a loud crash…
The driver in front of me had stopped at the sign. I hadn’t even seen the sign…
The other driver was OK…
I was OK…
Her car had a small scratch on the rear bumper.
My car?
The manufacturer of my car spends a lot of money running ads about the safety provided by its front “crumple zones”.
They work.
Every piece of metal from the front bumper to the passenger compartment was crumpled, really crumpled.
“Doesn’t look like you can drive that car”, said the cop.
I looked at him. He called a tow truck.
As the car was hauled away, I started to focus on the cost…
- $1500 insurance deductible
- $300 traffic ticket
- Required court appearance
- Higher insurance rates
- More than a little damage to my ego
Things had changed a lot in the last thirty minutes…
All because one shiny little piece of metal had totally occupied my focus.
If only I had looked where I was going…
Did you know there’s a Bible verse for that?
Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
~Proverbs 4:25
I laughed when I first thought of that verse…
But how often do I focus on the wrong things?
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
~Colossians 3:2
How often are my own desires my first priority?
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
~Mathew 6:33
How often do I focus on my own little dirt pile of accomplishments and problems?
How often do I stand so close to that meaningless pile of mud that it totally fills my focus?
How often do I let it block from my focus the enormous mountain of God’s strength and blessing that stands just beyond it?
I lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth
~Psalm 121:1-2
