“Pastor, I’m leaving the church.” The woman was genuinely saddened, but had made up her mind. The greeting line after worship is never the right time for such conversations, but self-absorbed people cannot grasp that fact. Her pastor had heard it all before. Anyone who has even a few years under his pastoral belt has memorized the reasons and excuses of people who have forgotten that God has commanded us to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). “People are gossiping, the leaders aren’t living holy lives, the music is too old-fashioned (or too loud), ‘I’m not being fed’ (My personal favorite. What this really means is, ‘I’m not being spoon-fed’). I cannot recall a single instance where people have left the church because the doctrine was deficient.
Her litany finished, the pastor calmly asked her to stay put for a few minutes. While she waited impatiently, he walked to the kitchen, filled a glass to the brim with water, and brought it to her. “Do me a favor before you go,” he asked. “Take this glass and walk around the sanctuary without spilling a single drop.” She agreed, and started off. A couple minutes later, she was again standing before him. “Did you spill any?” the pastor asked.
“Not a drop,” she said, somewhat smugly.
“How did you manage to do it?” pastor inquired.
“Well, I walked slowly and kept my eyes on the glass.”
“You didn’t look around at the people in the sanctuary?”
“I couldn’t, if I wanted to keep from spilling the water.”
Her pastor smiled. “It’s the same way in life. If you keep looking around you at others, things will surely get messy. The only way to succeed is to keep your eyes on Jesus.”
Psalm 16:8 says, “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” The only way to keep from being shaken in this life is to keep looking to Jesus. Whether it is personal morality and ethics, or simply getting along with other people, the only way to do it is to keep our eyes on him. Whenever I have neglected to do this, trouble was not far away. And it’s not always easy. Sometimes, we get tired. Our spiritual eyelids droop. Or we become blinded by the shiny baubles of this world, things and experiences that glitter, obscuring our line of sight to Jesus. Sometimes we deliberately shut our eyes to the truth God is speaking. I am grateful tonight for the Scriptures that keep calling me back to my anchor and grounding in Christ. When I look to him, the author and perfecter of my faith, (Hebrews 12:2), all is well. When I turn my gaze to the right or left, life starts to unravel. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit who keeps nudging me, guiding me to the Scriptures that cleanse and purify my soul.
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