“If then you have been raised with Christ, seekthe things that are above, where Christ is,seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1 ESV
I was driving into Springfield one afternoon going into a strong northeast wind. You could feel the car giving it a little extra as it was motoring through the stiff gales. I looked over to my left for a quick moment to view the landscape of the recently harvested fields and as I did, a bird caught my attention. It was flying close to the highway in the direction I was going. What caught my attention was the fact that it looked as if it was staying still, but at the same time flapping itself silly against the wind trying to fly forward. I thought to myself, if that bird quit, it would have ended up in a county south of us in a hurry.
My wife often makes fun of me when I get a thought that I don’t have an answer to. If I am driving, watching tv, or reading a book, if I ask a question like, “I wonder how they do that?” or “How old is this person today?” I often ask her to google it if she is with me. If not, then when I can, I will do the same. I have learned some meaningless things as well as expanded my knowledge on some interesting things that were helpful like what I am about to share in this blog.
I wanted to know how this little bird thought it could get to where it was going. Obviously, it had a place to go. From what I was observing in those occasional glances, wherever that bird was going, it was going to be hard to get there, but it didn’t appear the bird was going to quit. I got curious about how such a little bird can overcome such mighty winds. Why don’t they just sit it out until the weather gets better? So when I got back to the office, what did I do? I googled it. Here is what I found.
Have you ever noticed that when we walk into strong winds, we have an instinct? We tend to turn our heads away from the wind, we may close up our coat or fold our arms and we squint our eyes to protect ourselves from anything flying in the air. Birds do similar things when flying against strong winds. Birds will adjust their bodies, so they are not acting like a sail, but rather get they get aerodynamic. But they also do something with their eyes, and this is what grabbed my attention. As they fly, they keep their eyes on the target. I do not know if they squint, but what they don’t do, is look around and see what is happening. They keep their eyes focused on where they are going while maintaining a forward motion. I found this on birdwatchingpro.com if you want to know more about birds.
Remember this. If you don’t remember anything else while reading this blog, write this one down. It is key to understand what God is doing today. I was watching the bird, but that bird was not watching me. It kept its eyes on its destination. There will always be people watching us walk through our difficult seasons. They may be looking to see if we make it. They may be praying for us to not quit. Some could look at us and count their blessings. People will always be watching us, but the key is for us to stay focused on the target of our faith. The only one that matters is the one who watches over us. He sees you. The key is to see Him.
I want to encourage those who feel tired and fatigued to not lose hope and like that bird I observed, keep your eyes focused on your destination in Jesus. Our world today is like a storm. Each day blowing more evil blasts, uncertainty, and chaos. I have talked to many who are tired from it all, some still grieving loss and the wind just doesn’t seem to let up. Keep flapping those wings and keep your eyes on Jesus.
Where is Jesus? Our verse in this blog tells us that He is seated at the right hand of God. He is King and that is where our focus is to stay no matter what we face or how tired we become. When He was faced with the mission of the cross, it was the joy of thinking about us that gave Him the endurance to finish the mission. (Hebrews 12:2)
When you are tired, grieving, or distracted, where do the eyes of your heart wander? If you are like me, they can begin to focus on all the things that could go wrong. Sometimes that is when we need to stay off google and trust God. Those online diagnoses can be dangerous. Remember, Jesus endured the pain and shame of the cross for us. If He could have done it a different way, He was open to it. But as He did the will of the Father, heading to the place of crucifixion, He thought about you and I and the joy of your life and mine having victory over sin as well as peace and rest in the middle of the storms helped Him to endure and finish the mission. He gave us victory!
Let’s walk through Colossians 3:1-17 quickly to see how our focus on Jesus starts a healthy pattern that conditions our soul to get to where God wants us to be. Practice these things as you fly through your storms or navigate the beautiful days when the wind is under your wings, and you are soaring.
Seek and set your thoughts on Jesus. (Our mind determines where our hearts go.)
Put away the world. (When we get tired, we can get carnal.)
Allow Jesus to rule your heart. (Peace comes with trust.)
Let the word of God dwell in your heart. (Delight in the Word. Hunger for it. God will do this in you.)
Do what we do in the Name of Jesus. (Walk in the Spirit)
If you are tired, its ok. If you are grieving, it’s ok. If you find yourself in the middle of a storm and the winds are blowing, you will be ok. Focus on Jesus. Keep your eyes on your destination. Like the bird flying against the wind, position your body, set your gaze forward and keep those wings flapping.
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