Progress > Perfection

One of the most obvious and necessary techniques in a workout is to keep your head up. As you complete barbell moves and box jumps, your eyes need to be looking ahead of you, fixed on a constant spot. As you move, that space becomes what centers you and keeps you from falling or losing balance. 

If we’re going to succeed, in our workouts, work, or relationship with God, we can’t be looking down. We can’t look to the sides or at the people around us. We must simply look straight ahead at what’s directly in front of us.

I still struggle with this sometimes. When I first started CrossFit five months ago, my trainers reminded me to keep my head up. I knew I should, but in the middle of a working out, that was usually the last thing on my mind. The more I practiced my posture, the more progress I made. I could lift more and maintain a better balance. My form made a difference in how well I performed. And now, months later, I’m back squatting almost all of my body weight.

The cost of looking down or around is significant. In a workout, you’ll get severely injured. In personal or professional work, you’ll remain stuck. My prayer partner put it this way: you can’t look down at what’s already been done. You must walk above the past. You need to lift your head to see what God is doing. In other words, when we look down and around at the things of this world, we miss hearing from God. We miss opportunities to see Him working because we’re so fixated on everything else.

Psalm 121:1-2 says “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”  

This psalm is a song of ascent, which could have been sung in two contexts:

1. The Israelites sang as they journeyed to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. They crossed rough terrain, renouncing the influence a mountain or hill could have on them. If the Israelites chose to idolize the earth like pagans, they would have wrongly attributed their help and strength to the creation over the Creator. 
2. The 15 songs connect to the 15 steps of the temple in Jerusalem. The Israelites, during the Feast of Tabernacles, might have sung these psalms and praised God as they took each step into the temple.  If they were to look at false gods or at their past, they would have missed a step. 

Regardless of specifics, the Israelites chose to fully worship the Lord and acknowledge that He is their sole source of help. In this song, they declared that they wouldn’t look elsewhere. They knew God was sovereign. Yet throughout Scripture, humans never did this perfectly. We still don’t keep our heads up sometimes. But regardless, when we fix our focus on God alone, we see clearly and we receive the help we need. 

It’s not just about looking up or being present, although that’s important. It’s about being laser-focused on God over your circumstances. It’s about owning the assignment He has given you and obediently completing it for His glory. 

When we look to God above our situations and our affections, the weight becomes lighter. Our balance becomes more stable. And our faith grows so much greater. No, it’s not about having it all right the first time. It’s okay to not be where you want to be. God doesn’t ask for perfection; He just wants progress and perseverance. Faith that endures is one that continues to seek God, even when it’s easier to look in another direction. 

Friend, if your eyes aren’t fixed on God, raise your gaze higher. When we lock eyes with Jesus, He becomes our constant. He centers us, so we keep our balance and don’t fall or get badly hurt. Sometimes we need a reminder to refocus our vision, and having accountability from a friend or counselor is helpful. Let this be your gentle nudge for today. It’s time to stop looking at the world around us for answers and fix our eyes on our Savior.