Walking in Circles


For some reason, when people can't see their goal, they cannot walk in a straight line.

Program Transcript


Want to try something
interesting? Take a friend to an open space, blindfold them and instruct them to
walk as far as they can in a straight line. You’ll be surprised to see what
happens. For some reason, when people can’t see their goal, they cannot walk in
a straight line. And it’s not just when blindfolded. When it is cloudy and
visibility is low the same phenomenon occurs; people slip into walking in
circles, and sometimes they end up right back where they started.

No one seems to know why
this happens, but I find it fascinating that the phenomenon occurs. I also find
it interesting that many use the phrase, “I feel like I’m walking in circles”
to describe their personal or spiritual life at times. This feeling of walking
in circles and getting nowhere happens when we lose sight of our goals.

The Bible calls this
walking in darkness. When we walk in darkness, we are like the blindfolded
friend who simply cannot walk in a straight line. It is because we’ve lost
sight of Jesus. He is the light that enables us to walk straight. Notice what Jesus
said about himself in John 8:12. “I am
the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but
will have the light of life.”

This “light of life” is
also referred to in the first chapter of John where we read about the Word,
Jesus, becoming flesh. It says in verse 4-5: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

This is good news for all
who feel they’ve been walking in circles. When you walk with Christ, you no
longer walk in darkness because the light has overcome it. Jesus illuminates
the path enabling you to walk in the light. He is also the goal you stay
focused on enabling you to walk to the light. And he is the friend who
accompanies you enabling you to walk with the light. If you start to meander or
walk in a circle – which we all do from time to time – he is there to lovingly
guide you back to the right path.

He does this because he
loves you and doesn’t want you to be frustrated walking in circles and going
nowhere. He wants you to have the light of life.

It may be fun to take your
friend to an open space, blindfold them and have them try to walk in a straight
line. But that’s nothing compared to the joy of seeing your friend walk from
darkness into the light of Christ.

I’m Joseph Tkach, Speaking
of LIFE.

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