Everyday Step with Jesus

In this walk with Jesus, we will experience all kinds of situations. We face doubt, worry, anxiety, loss, tribulations and many other situations. Some of these situations may become a motivation to push us forward and others may become stumbling blocks. What can we do to overcome these stumbling blocks? Keep on reading…

1. Place your eyes on Him alone

Don’t look back or to the sides, and definitely don’t look at anyone else

Looking back = looking at your past

Looking at our past is dangerous, it can lead to discouragement and eventually to a point where we aren’t going anywhere…stuck. For more on the dangers of looking back, read my post from last week Don’t Look Back. 

To the sides = distractions 

When we look at what is around us it becomes easier to stumble on our walk and take our eyes off of God. His word tells us

Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or to the left; Remove your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:25-27 NKJV

Peter is a good example of looking to the sides and getting distracted…Peter had the courage to go out to Jesus in the middle of the storm…

And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:28-30 NKJV

Peter not only went out to Jesus, but he actually walked on the water! However, when he took his eyes off of Jesus and he looked around at the situation, he sunk. Sometimes our distractions are not physical distractions but rather situations that are arounds us, our fears, or our own minds. In the case of Peter, his distraction was the storm, the chaos that was going on around him led him to doubt even though he had taken the initial step and was actually walking on the water. Like Peter, we face many storms in our lives, but through the storm we must keep our eyes on the Lord in order to not sink.  

It is easy to get distracted with the cares of the world…but even with the responsibilities each of us has, we should always strive to put God first. 

“But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness , and all these things should be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 NJKV). 

When we put God first in our lives, He makes sure to take care of our needs (those same needs that often cause worry and stress). This verse is talking about things such as food, drink and clothing (Matthew 6:25).

Someone else = comparing yourself or certain situation to someone else

With social media it has become easier to compare the lives of others to ours If you find that social media stresses you out or makes you feel like your life isn’t good enough…take a break. We need to understand that everyone is on a different walk in life. Your life will look different than mine and that is okay because He has a plan for each and everyone of us. 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

2. Remind yourself of where you are headed

In ministry, career, personal relationships, or eternal life

Even if the current situation doesn’t look good, remember that God is not done yet, but we do know that He will finish what He started. We know this because His word says:

Being confident of this very thing, that HE who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 NKJV         

If God is the one that opened a door for you, no one can shut it. If He is the one that gave you the job that you think you’re not qualified for, He will give you grace and favor and you will be able to do your work, and even exceed. If He is the one that told you to start that new project, He will help you. Don’t stop just because in the moment it doesn’t look the way you want it to look, He will not leave you halfway, HE will complete it.                                                                                                                                                     

Remember that our great reward is in heaven (Matthew 5:12 NKJV) Keep on pressing towards the goal

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which   Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren I do not count myself to have already apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14. 

Our goal is eternal life!

3. Don’t act based upon your feelings

Do the right thing even if you don’t feel like it

If you know God’s word, then more than likely you already know what you should do in a particular situation, and if you are unsure…read His word, pray, and be in His presence…He will guide you. We can’t choose to follow God’s Word only when it is convenient to us, even in those situations when we really don’t want to follow through with what we know to be right…we must be led by His Spirit and His word. Always remember that our feelings are temporary and are bound to change but His Word remains forevermore. 

4.Learn from the situation

There is always something to learn from every situation, whether it is good or bad, we can learn from it. I find that oftentimes God uses a difficult situation in my life as a learning experience, sometimes it is something small but even then I learn something from the situation. However, in order for us to grasp that learning experience we must be willing to learn or else we will keep going through the same “test” until we pass.

I have found that in Christ nothing is a mere coincidence, and God reminds me of this when He connects the dots for me. Again, we can only connect these dots if we are willing and open to learning. 

5. Renew your mind

This is probably the most important “step”, and what is being done in 1-4 above. In order to be able to do most of the “steps” above we have to renew our mind. Our mind determines our thoughts and perspective and eventually we end up acting upon those thoughts. If we are able to set our mind on the things above and not on the things of the earth, we will be able to continue to go forward. When we renew our mind we are able to acknowledge the problem and the reality of the situation that we are going through, but rather than focusing on our situation we are able to focus on HIM and trust Him through the situation. Through the renewing of our mind we are able to think from the sound mind that Christ gave us. 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

Keep on going forward, don’t stop.