Monday Morning Reflections: You Steer Where You Stare

Without repeating the sermon that Mitch Lynn gave at Grace Fellowship yesterday, I love this phrase and his application.  So often we stare at the wrong thing, we stare at the philosophies of the world and take our eyes off of our savior.  Jesus is the one who will judge, who provides salvation, and who perfects our faith.  When we are distracted by worldly philosophies like Critical Theory in any of its forms we are distracted from what is true, just, and worthy.  We steer where we stare.  The church in Pergamum (Rev. 2) was faithful in some ways, but they were distracted by worldly philosophies.

I can't help but see this as extremely relatable to the world we live in today.  So many churches are buying into worldly philosophies and even false religions.  So many have bought the lies of Satan (i.e. worldly philosophies).  When we begin to redefine theological and Biblical terms in cultural ways.  For instance when we say "America's original sin was slavery."  Do you see the distraction?  We begin to focus on the wrong thing.  Yes, slavery was/is a sin, but it is not the original sin or the most important sin.  Rebellion against God, the creator, the almighty, is the original sin and the most significant sin.  There is no greater sin than rebellion against God (Gen. 3; Rom. 3).  It's not just racism or slavery, there are many worldly philosophies that distract the church from focusing our eyes on Christ (Heb. 12:1-2).  

What is the philosophy?  Is it sexual identity (lgbtq)?  Is it viewing government as our savior, a form of civic religion?  Is it various forms of scientism, thinking that science has the answers to questions it simply can't answer?  

We steer where we stare.  What are you staring at?  Is it Jesus?  The only way to avoid compromise as a Christian and a follower of Christ is to keep our gaze one Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith.  Is that where your eyes are focused?  You steer where you stare, what are you staring at?