Lessons from a Lawn Mower

It wasn’t some new revelation. I’ve heard others repeat it...but this time it hit home in a new and deeper way then ever before. I love object lessons and while sitting on the lawn tractor the Lord revealed some very important ones I tend to easily forget. 

You’ve all heard it, “You can’t go in a straight line unless you keep your eyes fixed on something ahead.” I found this true over and over again yesterday, but as I sat there I began thinking...I’ve found this true over and over again in my life. I must keep my eyes fixed upward on heavenly realities...on Jesus, or my path will slowly wander away from the one He has planned for me. Remember the slough of despond? It was when they took there eyes off of the light that they fell. If they continued to keep their gaze upward and forward they passed through safely. 

But once the line is straight can't you just follow it instead of looking ahead? No...if you are very careful you may be able to stay straight for a pass or two, but very quickly curves appear and if you keep following them there will eventually become so many that you will doubt that you ever had a straight line in the first place. The only way to restore the straight line is to look again to a mark ahead. Even so, it may take a few swipes to restore it completely to the line it was in the beginning. Is it not the same in the Christian’s life? When we begin to look at ourselves or at the lives of others as our pattern, we will always begin to turn from the straight way. For Jesus is the only true pattern to follow. But when we turn our eyes again toward heaven he gently leads us back again to the path. But even so, we must remember that we will never be where we could have had we kept our eyes upon our Savior. Delays and detours our not in the Shepherd's plan. 

So my fellow pilgrims, let us faithfully traverse this path ahead of us. Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who is just before us leading us to the city, and then...we will be safe!