Steve Coleman

Keep Your Eyes Fixed on the Lord

BY STEVE COLEMAN

When I was 13 years old, I wanted to move from water skiing on two skis to slalom skiing on one ski. My older brother and his friends were avid skiers, and, one afternoon, with the supervision of our boss (we all worked for a house painter who had a boat and a lake house), we ventured onto Lake Wateree in South Carolina.

I got in the water, tips of the skis above the surface, rope between the skis. Then, I would drop a ski and, within about three seconds, fall into the water. The other boys constantly would give me advice. As much as I tried to implement their instructions, I just couldn’t do it. When it started getting dark, we gave up and went back to the house.

The next morning, our boss said, “Let’s go try again, without everybody else.” Reluctant to face more disappointment, I agreed to try again. He told me not to get up on two skis and then drop one. Instead, he said, “If you can get up on one ski, you’ll have it.” When I was in the water, he told me to look at the tip of the ski, point it at the boat and don’t look at anything else.

My first two attempts, I failed. Attempt number three, I almost got up, but still failed. I tried again. On my fourth attempt, I stood up and slalom-skied half of the lake.

Sometimes, or maybe oftentimes, we make things more complicated than they have to be. Psalm 16:8 tells us, “I will keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” The distractions we allow into our lives often can leave us confused and unsettled. All of the things that compete for the attention of our hearts and our eyes can distract us from following God’s gentle leadership.

When things aren’t going according to plan, seek the quiet refuge of God’s counsel through his word. Focus on one thing, and position your heart and ears to shut out the cacophony of opinions and noise. Keep your eyes always on the Lord. With him at your right hand, you will never be shaken. It may take a few tries, but keep your eyes on God, and you’ll get the wisdom and peace that comes from a steady walk with him.

Steve Coleman is an associate pastor and worship pastor at Wildwood Baptist Church in Acworth.