Chasing Cars, June 6
Written by Karen Tripp
“…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2a NIV).
Have I ever told you about Poochie? Poochie was my dog growing up. He was a total mutt that preferred lounging in the shade of the porch rather than doing any kind of activity except eating. Other than food, the only thing that would get Poochie off the porch was the sound of a car with a broken muffler. Then that dog would shoot off like a bullet chasing that car down the street, barking up a storm. But once by the street, Poochie would hear another car—and tear off after that one in the opposite direction. That dog would chase cars all afternoon, leaving him exhausted and standing in the exact same place he started.
It frightens me how much I’m like Poochie. My tendency is to live my life like a dog chasing cars. I’m going through my day right on track, when suddenly something catches my eye, and I am off in a totally new direction. Sometimes I chase after new things that look a whole lot more fun than whatever I should be doing. But more often, instead of chasing a new activity, I chase after negative thoughts.
A cancer diagnosis can be like throwing gasoline on a hot trail of negative thoughts. The worst of these trails probably involves waiting on scan or test results. Ugh. These thoughts might be accompanied by, “Is that new ache I feel more cancer?”
Unfortunately, commonplace worries like money, kids, home repair, or work can become supercharged with the extra burden of cancer.
These negative thoughts can taint moods, words, and even actions as they reflect the negative thoughts raging in your head. Like Poochie, you can find yourself exhausted and standing in exactly the same place—or perhaps a worse place.
So what are you to do, to stay on track and not be seduced by the loud cars rolling by in your brain? Hebrews 12:2 says we are to fix our eyes on Jesus. If you’re like me, you might think that sounds extremely simplistic. But when you look at the Greek meaning of the term “fix your eyes,” you find that the directions are quite explicit. It means to “turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something.”1 How? First, catch your brain as it descends into negative thoughts. “Oh, I’m stressing again.” Second, reach for a new path of Christ-filled thoughts. You might look at beautiful nature photos on your phone, repeat a specific scripture in your mind, pray until the worry leaves your mind, or my favorite—a good dose of Christian music I sing along to.
The key is to not stop. Keep thinking Christ-filled thoughts until the negativity is chased from your brain. You know the cars will not stop rolling by, taunting you to give chase, but look the other way and yes, friend—fix your eyes on Jesus.
Pray: Jesus, push me to recognize when my mind is filled with negativity. Teach me to push these thoughts from my head and fix my eyes on You. Amen.
Your Turn: List three things that are negative thoughts that can too easily fill your mind. Next to each, write a scripture, prayer, song, or other Christ-filled material you will turn towards. Pray now for God to make these new thought trails solid and rejuvenating.
“Greek Dictionary (Lexicon-Concordance).” Study Bible Key Words in Hebrew/Aramaic; Greek with Strong's Numbers. Accessed August 17, 2021. http://lexiconcordance.com/greek/0872.html.
Karen Tripp, MS, LMFT, Cancer Caregiver
Karen is the Executive Director of Cancer Companions, the premiere national Christian cancer ministry (https://www.cancercompanion.org). Her roles have included authoring several Christian books including God is Bigger Than Your Cancer and working as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is a daughter of a colon cancer survivor. Karen uses her experience to teach how to step into another person’s struggle to help build their faith while strengthening your own.
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
To learn more about our ministry and the services we provide visit our website by clicking here.
