Watch Where You're Going!

If you know me, you know I waddle when I walk. I’m slew-footed with size 13 feet, so it’s definitely a duck walk for the ages. What’s even funnier is when I watch myself on camera and I see myself with the penguin walk. It’s highly inappropriate, and I blame my mother because she must’ve forgotten my hard-bottoms shoes as a baby. Just kidding, mom! Love you! But anyway, as a child, I had trouble staying on my feet. Some called it clumsy, others called it goofiness, and I blamed the shoes from Shoe Carnival, y’all remember that place? Fun times! Now as an adult, I was walking one day, took a look behind, and I don’t know where this wall came from, but I just happened to run into it. If you laugh, you’re my friend, and I know I’m not alone in this, which is why you’re really laughing. Just be honest, it’s okay! I won’t tell anyone.

If you’ve learned by now, I still have a touch of clumsiness. As I looked back at something that had no business with me, I hit a wall. How many times have we experienced this in life? We’re not paying attention, and then we hit a wall that was there all along, but we just looked in the wrong direction for a moment. How many of us have taken our eyes off our intended path and ended up in something negative? Bad choices, poor performance, and detrimental relationships; the last one is particularly damaging. Bad relationships can really set you back for a while. You know who knows how distracting things can get you into trouble? The Heavenly Father. The word of God says this:

Proverbs 4:25-27 (NIV) 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

It’s funny when it’s a wall in a hallway. We laugh, rub our shoulder, and keep it moving. But life doesn’t always give us padded walls. Sometimes the “wall” is a missed opportunity because we were distracted. Sometimes it’s a broken relationship because we entertained what we should’ve ignored. Sometimes it’s a spiritual setback because we slowly drifted instead of staying focused. Clumsiness in walking is one thing. Clumsiness in direction is another. That’s why this wisdom in this part of Proverbs isn’t just poetic—it’s protective. “Let your eyes look straight ahead…” Not because distractions won’t exist, but because focus is intentional. The Father knows that what pulls our eyes eventually pulls our feet. And wherever our feet go consistently, our life follows.

Maybe today isn’t about laughing at the wall. Maybe it’s about learning from it. If we fix our gaze forward, on purpose, on calling, on Christ—we avoid collisions we were never meant to experience. We won’t be perfect. We may still waddle a little. But we’ll be walking in the right direction. Stay focused. Stay steady. Keep your feet from what pulls you away from who you’re becoming.

Next step:

Think about what areas of your life do you find challenging to stay focused or disciplined? How can you create a plan to keep your focus on Lord Jesus, avoiding distractions that may lead you off course?

God bless you, God keep you. God loves you and I love you too!