Saturday, March 20, 2010

Stepping Stones: Carsick on Your Spiritual Journey?

Transformational Tip

Have you ever been carsick? The primary reason for car sickness is because as the car races along, passengers are not able to focus on a solid object. The one person in a car who almost never gets sick is the driver. Why?

The driver is focused on the road ahead, looking intently at the solid objects outside the car that aren't bouncing and turning. He or she has a good sense of where the horizon is.

The main problem is the conflicting data between our eyes, our inner ear motion receptors, and the motion receptors throughout our body in the tissues below our skin. When we intentionally walk, all these 3 areas are in sinc and focused on a common motion task, therefore motion sickness doesn’t exist.

The key is in the word focus. When we are focused…intentionally walking forward and not distracted in several different directions…or not confusing our inner systems, no motion sickness will occur. Are we focusing on Christ…who never changes…or are we focusing on the circumstances that keep turning and swirling and change with each wind that blows? Focusing on Jesus will bring much-needed direction and get rid of some of the motion sickness we experience on our spiritual journey.

Today, are you focusing on circumstances? Have you become a caretaker of another person's problem? What about how your time is spent? Your priorities in life? Your daily schedule? Your health? Your time alone with God? Your involvement at church? Your friendships? Has your value system been compromised? Is your life out of balance? Re-orient and focus back on the cross and God’s promises, bring these lenses to those trouble areas. Click here to share with the Stepping Stones community your perspective on spiritual carsickness.

Prayer
My Father and my Lord, I know I have been focusing too much on problems instead of on Jesus. And as the circumstances around me change, I have become confused and discouraged…I am almost constanly “car sick.” Help me fix my eyes on Jesus. I pray this and all prayers in the name of the one who focused only on You, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!

The Truth
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2