New Year, New Focus: Exit Signs and Spiritual Perseverance
As long as I can remember, the Lord has graciously put older women in my life to help ground, guide, and love me. In my human pride, I may have had the impression I was placed in their lives to aid them. I have taken walks, done laundry, cleaned bathrooms, cut toenails. Wasn’t I so nice for helping them like this?
My own precious mom was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. After a series of falls, two broken hips, one broken leg, a broken nose, her body is, well... kind of broken. Nothing works the way it is supposed to.
We’re working on building up her endurance and strength through walking and a series of exercises. She starts out strong, sure that walking should come as naturally as breathing. But after a few steps her shoulders begin to slump. Her eyes shift to the feet she is silently commanding to walk. Giving up seems to be the most advantageous solution.
She needed to keep her head up and eyes on the finish line. “Look at the exit signs,” I said as we walked the halls outside her apartment. I encouraged her to make it to the next exit sign, and then the next. They are illuminated and hang from the ceiling about every thirty feet. Suddenly, the long march did not seem so impossible.
As we walk together, this little phrase has become our physical and spiritual reminder to keep our eyes heavenward, stand strong, move forward one small step at a time, and eventually, we will reach home.
Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. -- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
We might think once we ask Jesus to be our Savior, our spiritual walk should come naturally. But as the trials and temptations come, the fiery arrows are shot, and the challenges arise, we begin the slump. We look at all that is not working right, and we stumble. Apathy and discouragement set in and our countenance falls. We look at our circumstances and feel the weight of them threaten to make us stumble.
We need to keep our eyes on the exit signs, little reminders that God is our ever-present help in a time of trouble. We don’t have to walk alone, and we don’t have to reach the end of the race to be with Him. Like a runner who is running a race and has stumbled, we cannot look behind us at our past failures and shortcomings. We must look ahead to what awaits us.
As we take on the race of a new year, let's run with endurance with our eyes on the final destination, Heaven. One of my favorite verses says it well,
"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
-- Isaiah 40:31
Questions for Reflection
1. Do you get to the end of a year and have regrets?
2. Can you surrender them to Jesus right now?
3. Today, what is one way you can focus your eyes on the finish line rather than the past?
