“Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.” Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT
Sounds obvious, simple. Wandering eyes and distracted attention is bound to get you walking into a pole or traffic. Anyone noticed the new pedestrian entitlement? Especially in parking lots. Folks wander, zig-zag and just walk right in front of your car or just keep walking when you’re backing out of a space. There’s a creepy sense that modern cars with cameras and warning systems will auto-stop the car before hitting them. And now that jaywalking is no longer a crime, pedestrians rule the streets! I think some people WANT to get hit just for the insurance money. Sorry for the rant.
Wisdom makes a far more spiritual point using this idea of focusing our eyes so that our feet will follow. The eyes of our heart is our mind. And the things we think about absolutely dictate the direction of our attitudes and behaviors. The idea of fixing our thoughts to control or drive our behaviors is not a new concept in the Bible. Proverbs 23:7 in NKJV begins with, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” The Apostle Paul picks up the idea in Philippians 4:8. “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” This is wisdom’s way, walk in it.
Proverbs also reminds us that these practices of looking and focusing can keep our feet from following evil. We realize our feet have no sense of desire or cravings, right? Our feet are a symbol of our behaviors, they just obey our eyes and brain telling them where to go. I am still very much reminded of Jesus’ words that the “safe” path is also the narrow one, less popular, more difficult.
Prayer
Dad,
I sure hope my thoughts of you, your Word and your Will dictate my direction! It’s a mental struggle for sure. You call it sin, Paul calls it the flesh (sarx), but boy can it get me or lead me into trouble. It’s hard to fix my eyes on what’s right, good and holy when there are so many stinkin’ shiny objects dangling all around me. No wonder Job says he made a covenant with his eyes! Your Word is the light on my path and the wisdom to choose to walk in it. This is the way.