When you first looked at this target, what did you see? Did you first notice all the shots in the bullseye? Or was your eye drawn to the one shot that missed the bullseye but was still in the 9-ring? What did you think? Wow, that’s a really good target? Or did you think that the target is a bummer because of the one that missed?
What is the first thing to catch your attention when you see something new? Is it the beauty of the object or the picture? Or is your eye drawn to the one little imperfection that ruins the object in your mind?
This target reminds me of our walk with the Lord and the bullet holes are our attempts to live the Christian life. So many times, we hit the bullseye and live as the Lord requires. But, at times, we miss the bullseye and fall short of the goal; we miss the mark. Peter felt that way when, with Jesus in his boat, he and his friends hauled in a large catch of fish. In fact, he fell at Jesus’ feet after the catch and said, “Depart from me for I am a sinful man.” In his eyes he missed the mark badly. Jesus’ response to Peter was, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Peter was looking at the past and all he could see was the times he missed the mark. Jesus was looking to the future seeing what Peter would become.
How often do we focus on the past and our failures rather than focusing on the future and what we can become if we let Jesus take control of our lives? Where is your focus? On old targets and how many times you have missed the mark? Or on the new targets where we start each day with a clean slate with Jesus leading the way? It has been said that the devil wants us to focus on the past and our Lord wants us to look to the future. Which way are you facing?
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