Bright Lights and Other Distractions
J. B. Hixson, Ph.D.
February 17, 2010

A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth. (Proverbs 17:24)

Teaching a fifteen year old how to drive poses a number of challenges.  In the first place, many of the skills we use for driving are instinctive or intuitive, and come with practice.  For example, you cannot teach a first-time driver how to react when an empty bag of feed corn flies out of the back of a pick-up truck in front of you, and blows right into your path-obscuring your view for one, short terrifying moment.  In the second place, since fifteen year olds already know everything, very little that is said by their driving instructor will be welcomed and embraced.  Teaching our children to drive is just another in a long list of the joys of parenting!

Recently, I was giving my oldest daughter some practice time behind the wheel when we approached a turn onto a major highway.  As she (and I!) looked back to our left to look for oncoming traffic, the bright eastern sun blinded us and made it difficult to see if any cars were coming.  It didn't help matters that our windows were coated in dust from our gravel driveway, causing the sun to reflect and create a shadow effect-further shielding our view.  Eventually, we were able to gain a degree of confidence that it was safe to enter the highway and the experience turned into a teachable moment about bright lights and other driving distractions.

Life, like driving, comes down to focus.  There are many distractions that easily rob our focus and shift our attention away from the things that matter most.  Jesus calls such distractions the "cares of this world" that "choke the Word" in our lives and hinder our spiritual growth (Matt 13:22).  It is axiomatic that our focus determines our direction: You always hit what you are aiming at.  If your eyes shift to the scenery on your left, your hands on the steering wheel will follow and your car inevitably drifts across the yellow stripe and into the oncoming traffic.  Any carpenter worth his salt knows that when hammering nails, you focus on the nail not your thumb.  Because you always hit what you are aiming at.

Proverbs reminds us that the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth, but a discerning man keeps wisdom in view.  Fools lack focus.  Those who are wise keep their eyes on the road.  Where is your focus?  Are you looking intently into God's Word daily, to maintain the proper perspective and worldview?  Or are there bright lights and other distractions that have choked the influence of God's Word in your life, and gotten you off course? 

The Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps 119:105).  Get in the Word and stay there, lest you find yourself blindsided by all of the trash blowing in the wind.