Where You Stare, You Steer: Guarding Your Mind in a Distracted World

Recently I was having a conversation with someone about the difference between driving a car and a motorcycle. They have lots in common, but they said “where you stare, you will steer”. What an interesting concept! Our hands naturally follow where our eyes are leading us when we are on a motorcycle. This explains why someone who is driving a motorcycle keeps their head facing forward while driving down the road. I suppose the same is true for driving a car to an extent as well. But what about life?

When I was little we used to sing a song that went like “Oh be careful little eyes what you see! Oh be careful little eyes what you see! For the Father up above is looking down in love, oh be careful little eyes what you see!” (You either just had a time warp to your childhood or have no idea what I am talking about! 🙂)

This really applies to us today as well. In this day and age where we are bombarded by media of all types, we have to be extra careful what we see. We will steer where we stare. If you are spending your time on social media comparing yourself to others and constantly wishing you were like them, you will find yourself discontent with life as you know it. If you are reading books that are full of smutty romance, you will be discontent with your relationships. If you watch a lot of sitcoms where the men are constantly treated like idiots, your mind will start to think of men as such. The list goes on and on. The negative we see and hear affects us deeply. 

Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovel, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.”

God knew what we needed when it came to this. Our minds need to be filled with things of God’s word, lovely things, truth, and purity. Instead, we find ourselves thinking about what Mary down the street has, what Nicole’s newest shiny toy is, or what so and so’s kids are up to. We have to ask ourselves if those things are what we should be thinking about. Are they setting us up to compare what we have or do with others? Then we need to move away from it. This might mean taking a break from social media, rethinking relationships, or even breaking away from certain people or situations so we aren’t steering ourselves into a ditch. 

So what do we do instead? We focus on the word. Read it every day. Memorize it. Put it on 3x5 cards on the mirror in the bathroom so you are seeing and steering in the right direction first thing in the morning. Surround yourself with people who are speaking about wholesome things instead of gossiping. Be an encouragement to others and steer others in the right direction. Refuse to be a part of the problem, and be part of the solution in as many situations as you can.  

Let’s surround ourselves with wholesome and positive things so that we can continue to be a light in this world and make sure we are staring in the right direction so we can steer ourselves, our friends, our family,and our community in the right direction. 

God, you are the creator of our minds and know what it is that we need to be healthy and happy. You have advised us to focus our thoughts on positive and pure things. Help us to do this despite the pull all around us to compare and become unsatisfied with life. You are what we need. Help us to focus on you and the word. Amen.