Truth Process Session IV, Lesson 5

Truth Process Session IV, Lesson 5

A little over a year and a half ago, Fran and I sold the home we lived in for twenty years, and moved into a carriage home. One of the factors which drove that decision was a desire to be free of all the maintenance obligations that come with home ownership. One of the big ones for me was grass cutting.

Our lawn was pretty big, and it usually took me 45 minutes to an hour to complete the job with a walk-behind mower – not a rider. For most of the 20 years I actually enjoyed the job. It was simple (not easy), very little could go wrong, and I loved the way the grass looked after the job was done. The reason I loved the way the grass looked was that all my lines were straight. For those of you that know me, this should come as no surprise.

Everyone in my family as well as some of my neighbors would comment from time to time at how straight the mower lines were in our lawn. I would jokingly reply “If you are going to make lines, why wouldn’t they be straight? Besides, it’s not that hard.” And it wasn’t …

All I did was follow a simple process. I started the mower, took it out into the grass, and picked out an object in the distance – usually the trunk of one of the big oak trees in the back of our lot. Then, keeping my eyes on the tree, I began pushing the mower in the direction of the tree. When I reached the turn around point, I would look back at the path I had just made. If it was nice and straight, all I had to do was line my mower up with the lines I had just made and push the mower back to the other end. On the other hand, if I saw that my line wiggled or waggled, I made the appropriate adjustments on the way back. My guess is that I followed this process more than 1,000 times over the years, and I found this to be true: If I became focused on the front of the mower, I started to wander “off course”. But if I regularly looked up at the larger object (the oak tree), I could get the first cut straight. If I got the first cut straight, it was easier to make the rest of them straight.

Which leads me to our discussion last week…

We are called to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Heb 12:1)

This tells us that we have a race to run, and that it will require endurance – it won’t be easy. The very next verse reveals the key to running the race:

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…”

This reminds us that our main point of focus must be on Christ, and nothing else.

Imagine that all the “doing” of your life – the running of the race – is represented by your standing behind a lawn mower, intent on making straight lines as you cut.

Imagine that Jesus is represented by the big oak tree.
You know that if you take your eyes off Him, you will begin to wander, but you also know that you have to look down now and then. Why? Because you may encounter obstacles which need to be removed or avoided.

What was true for me in my “grass cutting days” is true for me in my spiritual life. Just as I had to continually look up at the oak tree, in a sense acknowledging its presence and orienting myself to it, I must continually look up to Jesus, keeping my eyes fixed on Him and orienting myself to His presence, His will, His power, and His glory. With Christ as the main focus, I must also continually examine my path for the obstacles which inevitably appear.

When cutting grass, as I turned the mower around, getting ready to make the next cut in the opposite direction, I always looked at the path of my last cut. I wanted to be sure that my path was straight. In other words, there was a moment of self-examination at the end of every row. It should be this way in my spiritual life as well. My life must be self-examined every day as I ask myself “Is my path straight?”

It’s probably just me, but sometimes I get caught up in “doing”, and I take my eyes off Jesus. The outcome is never a good one.
In the coming week, I pray that you will keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, knowing that He will guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. (Proverbs 4:11)

In Christ –

John