I was thinking the other day while driving about how important it is for us to stay focused.

Maybe you’re one of the few people who choose not to be on your phone while driving, but just because you’re not on your phone doesn’t give you the liberty to put on lipstick while driving. Those are still distractions.

I saw a woman at a red light today doing her eyelashes. And when you do that, you’ve got to do that weird thing—looking up, trying to keep your eyes open and closed at the same time. I know what you’re doing, and I also know you’re not looking at the red light!

I saw a man the other day pull out a book and read an entire page. Not a newspaper. Not something quick. A chapter book. I think he even flipped the page.

All of those things are distractions.

We should all know that when we’re distracted, that’s when we start to veer off course. It feels like we can multitask while driving and still stay on the road, but even just a little distraction matters. Wherever your eyes lead is often where your steering wheel leads. You can easily veer off and cause injury to yourself or to others.

You’ve probably heard this analogy used for our lives, but it’s true: we have to stay focused on God. Because if we’re not focused on Him, we will start to veer off course. The moment we take our attention away is the moment we begin to lose our way. When we take our eyes off of Him, we drift off the path.

I want to take it a step further.

When I’m paying attention to the road and looking ahead, I’m not just staying in my lane. I’m also becoming aware of when I’m supposed to stop, when I’m supposed to go, when I’m supposed to yield, or when I need to avoid something. Paying attention enables me to know my actions. It tells me what I’m supposed to do.

The same is true in our walk with God.

When we’re focused on Him, when we’re looking ahead and staying in line, we’re not just staying within the boundaries of where we’re supposed to be. We’re also becoming aware of what God is calling us to do. We begin to recognize when God wants us to stop, when He wants us to go, when He wants us to speak, when He wants us to help someone, love someone, or share His gospel.

Those are the things God has called us to do.

When you look at the Lord’s Prayer, I’m a little stuck in the King James Version, you read the phrase,“Hallowed be Thy name.” We know that hallowed means holy, but we sometimes miss an important part of what’s being said.

When we pray that, we’re not asking God to be holy. We can’t make God holy. He already is! We’re not praying for Him to become more holy or less holy—that’s simply who He is.

But the prayer goes further: “on earth as it is in heaven.”

That’s not just a declaration of God’s holiness; it’s a prayer that His holiness would be made known here on earth. It’s the request that which is true in heaven would be reflected here through our lives, our obedience, and our Christlike actions.

It’s us saying, “God, You are holy. Now let my life reflect that. Let this earth reflect that. Let it be on earth as it is in heaven.”

That only happens when we stay focused, keep our eyes on the road ahead, allow God to direct us, and choose to be obedient to what He tells us to do.

That’s what we have to focus on as we look ahead.