Look Up!
Be Strong, Be Well — Saturday, November 14, 2020
From the beginning of the virus “stay at home” routine, my wife and I have become regular walkers. After I found a few good size nails and screws along the street, I was on a mission to help folks avoid falling victim to a flat tire. After a while, I had to stop looking down so much, because it taking its toll on my neck.
We know when we’re walking we must look down occasionally to avoid those tripping hazards. But we also know there is much interest and beauty in the world if only we look up.
There’s a spiritual application in all of this. Many negative changes are happening all around us, both in government and society, as well as the church. If we’re not careful we can easily dwell too much on the negative.
No one is without problems. The question is, are we spending too much time looking down at our ailments, troubles, unfavorable circumstances? If we are, we can find ourselves in a rut, discouraged and depressed. It’s time to look up! There is so much of life we’re missing.
Peter said, “...for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage” (2 Peter 2:19). And the wise man wrote, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7). Paul adds, “...hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
I know we’ve read the section of scripture in Philippians 4:6–9 many times. Maybe we need to hear it more often than some other passages. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Perhaps we all can have a better outlook on life. Let’s make it a habit and strive to look down less and up more often. “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up” (Psalm 5:3). —Chris