When we feel lost, especially in nature, the first step is often to stand still, regain our bearings, and figure out where we are. After assessing the situation, we usually retrace our steps to a familiar place. Spiritually, we must do the same. If we feel lost in our walk with God, we might have strayed and taken our eyes off Jesus. The key to finding our way again is to refocus on Him.
Feeling lost spiritually is often an indication that we are not walking in step with the Holy Spirit. He is our guide, and God sent Him to live within us for that very purpose. The Holy Spirit’s guidance helps us navigate the challenges of this fallen world. At times, we may wander, but to regain our sense of direction, we need to turn back to Jesus and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us.
When was the last time you felt peace? Sometimes we get lost when we take our eyes off Jesus. The enemy, along with our own fleshly desires, tempts us to stray from Jesus. The distractions in our lives can cause us to focus on things or people other than Him. If we start to covet what others have or idolize people, we risk taking our eyes off Jesus and placing them on something or someone else. The only one who should be exalted in our lives is Jesus.
The Bible repeatedly warns us not to walk in the ways of the wicked, to shun evil, and to consider our ways carefully (Psalm 1:1). Keeping our eyes on Jesus is a daily discipline. So, how do we do this? We must be mindful of our ways, examining our lives daily to identify anything that might signal we’ve turned away from Jesus.
Things like bitterness, anger, jealousy, rage, and strife are all indicators that we may have strayed. When we feel these emotions rising, it’s time to pause, reflect, and return our focus to Jesus. We need to slow down, avoid being led by emotions (which are not always truthful), and instead trust in the Lord with all our hearts, leaning not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).
For example, Jesus commands us to be slow to anger. When anger arises within us, do we remember this command and act on it? Or do we impulsively give in to our emotions? We must train ourselves not to act on our emotions immediately, but to fix our eyes on Jesus and align our actions with His commands.
Another sign that we’ve taken our eyes off Jesus is when we focus on the flaws and failures of others. If we are constantly pointing out the wrongs of others, we’ve taken our gaze off Christ. Jesus warned us not to focus on the speck in our brother’s eye while ignoring the plank in our own (Matthew 7:3-5). If we are judging others, it’s a sign that we’ve shifted our focus. Instead of condemning others, we are called to love them, just as Jesus loves us.
Why does this happen? It’s because of our sinful nature. We are naturally inclined to look at others and compare ourselves to them. That’s why we must remain vigilant, taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). If we focus on worrying about the future, we lose sight of the present and miss what God is doing in the now. Stay present, stay focused, and cast out those negative thoughts.
If we’ve lost our way, we need to examine what’s blocking our view of Jesus. Once we identify the distractions, we can reset and focus on Him again. When our eyes are fixed on Jesus, we can walk securely in our faith.
Heavenly Father,
We come before You with humble hearts, asking for Your help in keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. Help us to recognize when we have strayed and to return to You. We know that the distractions of this world can easily pull us away from You, but we trust that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can stay focused on Christ. Forgive us when we take our eyes off You, and help us to live according to Your will. May we continually seek Your guidance and walk in step with the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Matthew 7:3-5: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
2 Corinthians 10:5: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Psalm 1:1: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.”
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