Look up!

It's so easy to get swallowed by yourself.

I picture myself, mouth transfigured into a bottomless maw, lips stretching like elastic over the rest of my body until it's completely covered. All it takes is one swallow. Maybe a few hearty chomps to shred me into digestible bits first. Then gulp. Life is snuffed. I am invisible. Gone.

Sound funny?

It should.

Because it is!!!

I'm afraid it's gotten so easy to get wrapped up in myself, but guess what? Life isn't all about me. Or you. We all need to stop taking ourselves so seriously.

What do we do instead?

Easy.

Look up.

Only when we fix our eyes on Jesus does the race before us start looking bearable. Then and only then. Consider a couple of examples from the Bible, like Stephen. He kept his gaze fixed on his Savior so that even his murder seemed like a glorious experience to him.

No matter what kind of suffering experiences we have to go through, turning our eyes on Jesus reminds us who is in control.

Take Peter walking on water. What happened to him when he let his eyes waver for an instant off his Lord? He started sinking! He was looking at the waves instead of the Master of the waves. He was looking at the problem instead of the Answer. Which one do you think looked bigger?

I feel convicted about this. I keep forgetting to keep my eyes fastened on Jesus during these times of uncertainty. But I'm tired of forgetting. It's too exhausting. It makes the impossible look like it's actually impossible.

But when we turn our eyes on Jesus, He enables us to do the impossible.

We can walk on water.

We can lift up our heads because our redemption is drawing nigh.

It's even okay to go shopping with friends or sit around strumming guitars, laughing and being silly. It's all a way of not taking yourself too seriously. Not swallowing yourself. Enjoying life.

Because He's got it all under control.

This post was inspired by a sermon by my dad and today's Blimey Cow video.