Where your Eyes Go, Your Life Will Follow
Years ago, when I began teaching group fitness classes, I noticed how many of my class participants struggled to maintain good form and alignment while doing squats and lunges. I would give them proper cues only to watch them maintain alignment for a few reps and then return to their old way of doing things.
I began to study the participants to figure out what the difference was between the ones who maintained form for the entire exercise and those who didn’t. The answer was simple– it was a matter of where they fixed their eyes. When participants stared at the floor, they would tend to hunch their back and shift their weight to their toes, which is bad news for major joints! Exercise can be challenging, and as the participants would reach fatigue, many of them would begin to stare at the floor.
As I addressed this issue in my class I told them two things. First, I told them I would rather that they stop and take a break and jump back in when they are ready instead of continuing to exercise with poor form. Second, I told them to remember this: “Where your eyes go, your body will follow.” I repeated it so many times that they quickly became trained to keep their eyes either straight ahead or on a spot on the wall just below the ceiling.
As I left class one day, I felt the Lord whisper to me, “Rachael, I need you to take that advice and apply it to your life.” He began to teach me a way of living that is not only stress-free but maintainable because of who the power source is: God Himself!
Do you ever feel like you are working so hard and getting nowhere? Maybe it’s time to take a spiritual “break” and jump back into ministry and goal planning when you are well rested.
Have you ever felt like you are trying hard to do the right thing but it all ends up in failure, pain and loss? Perhaps it’s time to shift your eyes from your own strengths, weaknesses, and circumstances to the only One who can give you the strength to overcome all things.
Take a moment to readjust your alignment today by sitting with the Lord and asking these questions:
- Father, am I running too fast or too hard? Thank you for reminding to rest so that I can come back more fully alive and ready for the battle before me.
- Father, where are my eyes focused? Thank you for reminding me to look up when all hope seems lost.
Friends, keep your eyes focused on the cross and everything else in life will get into alignment.
Rachael Gilbert – Speaker, Blogger, Encourager. You can see more from Rachael at www.rachaelgilbert.com.
Your Wednesday Workout is With Chivonne Daum, a Revelation Wellness Instructor and Enrollment Advisor. Join her as she does this upper body workout entitled “Roots.”
