The first time my husband took me flying in a little Cessna 172, I flew through the sky, experiencing sights, sounds, and movements I had never seen or heard. I tried to take it all in, and my eyes bounced around like a pinball. For a few seconds, I looked out the window and down below onto quilted farming fields.
Next, I gazed at the flight panel inside and then smiled at my pilot. Finally, I looked through the front window to see the airplane’s nose and the blue sky. It didn’t take long with all that rapid eye movement for my eyes to get tired and demand that I fixate on one thing—something familiar to me.
One of the first things a pilot learns is to scan the aircraft instruments. A pilot needs to develop a good scan early so he or she can make appropriate aircraft control inputs. Poor scanning occurs when they fixate on only one instrument at a time, avoiding others. In fact, focusing on only one instrument could quickly lead to disaster.
In contrast, the Bible tells Christians to fixate our hearts and minds on things above, not on earthly things. For a Christian, failing to fixate on God and, instead, scanning the desires of the world will lead to disaster.
What are the things that you do to keep your mind and heart fixated on Christ and not the world? Develop a scan for the things the Lord tells you to think upon.
Carmen Eicher tells stories about the Lord, everyday people, and a few pretend people through Christian fiction and non-fiction. She is a faithful follower of Christ. She took on the identity of a military child at birth and later became a military pilot’s wife and a mom of five. She is a redhead living a life full of unexpected adventures and often tells her husband she isn’t dramatic. She is just passionate.