You’re the first car facing a red light at an intersection. What do you focus on while you’re waiting for the light to turn green? The traffic signal immediately in front of you? Or the opposing one?

I must admit that more often than not I look at the other guy’s light waiting for it to go from green to amber, so I can start revving up to zoom right through the nanosecond his light turns red and mine turns green. C’mon, fess up, you’ve done it too J

I also have to admit that sometimes I get so distracted by the opposing light that I miss it when my light turns green. It is only when the driver behind me toots a blaring reminder (sometimes accompanied by a single digit signal) that I realize what has happened! Of course, there are times when I’m the one giving the reminder (minus the hand signal, of course!). Between you and me, I feel really good doing it too!

Sad but true that we sometimes miss what is happening directly ahead of us, because we are so focused on what is happening around us.

We wait for someone else’s circumstances to change as our signal to move forward, rather than wait for our own to turn green.

In the process, we can miss an opportunity to move forward. We can end up delaying the fulfilment of our destiny.

That is why Solomon penned these wise words in Proverbs 4:25– Focus your eyes straight ahead; keep your gaze on what is in front of you. Or, as the Message Translation puts it: Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions.

We would do well to follow this advice. Amen?