A father was teaching his son how to plow a field in straight lines. His advice was this. “Pick an object on the other side of the field, and then walk towards it with the plow.”

So that’s what the boy did. But when he got to the other side and looked back on his work, his lines were crooked. 

The father was puzzled so he asked his son what happened. The son was just as puzzled. “I followed your instructions, dad. I picked an object on the other side of the field and then plowed straight toward it.”

“What did you pick?” the father inquired.

“A rabbit. But it kept moving!”

Ah…

It’s a funny story. It’s also a commentary on modern life. We need to fix our eyes on something that is permanent, reliable and eternal if we are to stay on the right path. If we don’t, we’ll easily swerve off course.

A famous verse about this very idea is Hebrews 12:1-2: “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

If you are a follower of Christ, you probably agree with that verse. But it’s one thing to agree with it, it’s another to actually do the work.

The wrong priorities can be like a swerving rabbit. 
Your career and working too much can be like a swerving rabbit.
Idolizing your family or a romantic interest can be like a swerving rabbit. 
Perpetual pleasure-seeking can be like a swerving rabbit.

Here’s a question that might be helpful when you look ahead at your schedule: Am I honouring Jesus with my priorities, time and energy?

As you move forward in life, don’t fix your eyes on the rabbit.

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus…”

Am I honouring him with my priorities, time and energy?

---

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.