It’s my first day on the tractor! A crisp morning breeze brushes across
the field. Crickets and country silence yield to the roar of the engine.
Dropping the plow into the soil, I head out across the field. I look down at
the gauges and gearshift, squeeze the cold steel of the steering wheel, and
admire the power at my disposal. Finally, I look back to view the results.
Instead of the ramrod straight line I was expecting, I see what looks like a
slithering snake, with more bends and curves than the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway.
We know better. “Plow with your eye on the fence post,” we’ve been told.
By staying focused on a point across the field, a person plowing is assured of
a straight line. On the return I comply, with telling results: The line is
straight. The row was messed up only when I didn’t have a focus point.
Paul had similar wisdom when he wrote of having his focus on Jesus
Christ and the impact it had on him. Not only did he ignore distractions (Phil. 3:8,13), he set the focus (vv.8,14),
noted the result (vv.9-11), and observed the pattern it sets for others
(vv.16-17).
Like Paul, if we focus
on Christ, we will plow a straight path and accomplish God’s purpose in our
lives.
