Gazes And Glances

Gazes and Glances

Bible Blast: Read Colossians 3:1-4

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

Colossians 3:2

Do you know the difference between gazing and glancing? “Gazing” is when you look for a long time at something with a steady stare. “Glancing” is looking over something quickly without really studying it.

What’s the last thing you remember gazing at? A beautiful sunset? A photo of your favorite celeb? The perfect hoodie? Staring at an object isn’t necessarily a problem. The problem is that “gazing” has a partner, and its name is “obsessing.” It’s happened to me. I’ve seen something in a store that I want to buy but know I shouldn’t, and I think about it for the rest of the day! Have you ever done that?

When the Bible tells us to think about heavenly things, not earthly things, it’s not saying that you can’t even look at the world around you. It’s a matter of what you’re gazing at. It’s easy to find ourselves gazing at things in the world when we should just be glancing at them. Along with that, we often glance at the things of God when we totally should be gazing at them.

David understood this battle for our attention, and he wrote about it in Psalm 27:4. “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple” (NIV).

When David wrote those words, he was in serious trouble because he had enemies who were trying to kill him. If I had people chasing me like that, it would be hard to think about or look at anything else. Many of David’s psalms have to do with trying to keep his focus on God and eternity instead of on the things that scared him. He knew if he could set his gaze on God, he wouldn’t be frozen by fear.

When we gaze at the things we should be glancing at, it’s easy to get discouraged. But when we choose to stare deeply into the Lord, his Word, and his creation, discouragement and fear won’t be able to have control over us.

Girl Gab: Have a staring contest with your mom. Sit across from each other, count to three, and say, “Go!” Stare into each other’s eyes until one of you blinks. Whoever blinks first gets to say something encouraging to the winner. While you’re at it, have the winner say something encouraging to the blinker, too! Pray for each other’s day.