Head Down, Eyes Up

Jul 25

8 min read

Many years ago when I first started exploring elements of writing The Knosee God gave me the phrase, "Head down, eyes up". I eventually started writing a chapter under that title. I re-read what I wrote then and realized I drafted this prior to my move to the current state I live in.

I'm struck with a huge pause as this sinks in. How little I KNEW at the time what would follow, what would take place, and that it would lead me to sitting where I am now, going through what I've been going through. Here is what I originally felt called to write then:

As I wrote these words I was at the start of a massive life Knosee (in addition to the crafting of this book itself). I'd been called to move, after 11 years, in a place I thought I'd a few years left. It came on suddenly.

“It’s time,” He whispered in my ear.

“I’m not ready,” I said.

“Are you not ready for all you’ve asked? I can’t give you the new life you want if you say in the old place,” He said.

He also knew I’d need some time to adjust to the idea but He’s been moving quickly since.

This move is clearly the next phase of my business and personal life – something I have been diligently writing and praying about, in earnest, for eight years. It’s been quite a journey to reach this point.

There is much I don’t see yet or know how everything is going to play out. It’s sure to be a radical lifestyle change with a slight pivot to my business to truly begin growing on the foundation I’ve laid the prior six years as directed by God every step of the way.

“Head’s down, eyes up,” He told me a few years into the business. I'd adopted it as an inner mantra; a guiding principle in times of stress and uncertainty, when I would feel overwhelmed.

In other words - you focus on your stuff and let ME focus on mine.

I never once worried about new business. I handed that off to God straightaway. If it reached a point where a client needed to be resigned or a certain pitch didn’t pan out, I took full comfort that God had something else in the works to take its place. This came to fruition time and time again, allowing me to slowly expand experience, teams, and revenue.

My job was to trust and be heads down and focused on taking a genesis of an idea and evolving it into a living breathing thing. I trusted God in every aspect and had faithful patience He’d deliver what was needed when it was time, knowing He didn’t bring me this far to leave me.

All the while I was “heads down” and focused, not allowing distractions that existed more in my younger years; I had my spiritual eyes turned upwards. I constantly consulted God, asking for discernment as new situations arose and how to handle.

That's it. That's all I had written at that time.

Now I hear that phrase "head down, eyes up" and it carries so much more weight and critical importance in light of the past few years; my experience then also feels spiritually naive by comparison to the trials and tribulations since and just how much I have had to practice a "heads down, eyes up" posture to move forward day-to-day but also how much more deeply it's brought me into reliance and relationship.

Back then I was setting out on a new adventure, a new life. I was excited about what the future held. If current me could go back, oh, the things I would warn her about; steer her away from to save her but here we are surrounded by spiritual warfare and agents of darkness deceived into thinking they are agents of light. The devil shows up in many forms.

When the phrase "head down, eyes up" was first revealed to me I took it in relation to work and simple unknowns but now it is a beacon of truth that the only thing to do when the storm is raging and threatening to drown us is to keep your head down in the sense of staying focused on what is true and honest, which is God, and not get distracted by what you can't control, which is often other people. There is also much to be said about the posture of prayer and head down in reverence of kneeling before the mighty throne of God.

Eyes up is keeping your spiritual eyes always on God, on God's grace and mercy. It is KNOWing that the only thing that matters is to not lose sight of God's promises talked about over and over again in the Word. As I write this I grabbed my bible and I looked out the window and thought, "God, give me a verse about sight or the eyes" and this is instantly where he took me, no page turning, no hunting - instant answer.

Keep my words and store up my commands within you.

Keep my command and you will live;

guard my teachings as the apple of your eye."

Proverbs 7:1-2

My study bible has a note about this phrase that says: "Apple is a metaphor for the center or pupil of the eye. The highly sensitive pupil is guarded fiercely by our eyelids and quick reflex systems. Damage to the pupil could result in blindness. We're to be concerned about the teachings of Proverbs as the body is about the pupil. Without wisdom, we live in darkness, spiritually blinded."

Praise God.

When we don't keep God as the center of our sight our lives show it. Keeping our "eyes up" is staying in the Word, constantly seeking solace, answers, and wisdom from the heavenly, not the earthly. That this proverb falls under sections warning against adultery/ the adultress is not lost on me given the betrayals I've experienced by a partner who proved to be much more interested in keeping his gaze on the flesh than the holy.

When we are focused and our gaze is correct we stay out of darkness. Dark can not exist with light.

Another verse I was just led to:

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

Psalms 19: 7-8

Doesn't that verse perfectly compliment the description of the Proverbs 7 verse? Without wisdom we live in darkness but filling ourselves with the guidance and teachings of God gives illumination, new sight.

A bible commentary on Psalms 19:8 says:

"When we reflect on “enlightening the eyes,” this aspect resonates with finding clarity in confusion. Think about times we felt overwhelmed with worries or uncertainties. In these moments, turning to God’s word can shed light on our situations. Prayer and reflection on His statutes can shift our perspective completely, helping us to focus on the positive and guiding us to make wise choices. Just like sunglasses protect our eyes from harmful rays yet allow us to see clearly, God’s commandments protect us and help us see what truly matters."

Amen! That's navigating the Knosee's of our lives, "eyes up" for our answers to shift us from despair to hope, from defeat to victory, from sorrow to joy. It brings us out of darkness into the light of God for transformations big and small.

A scene I regularly bring to mind is the disciples in the boat, which I've written about before, and how Peter was called out of the boat to meet Jesus on the water and how he began to SINK when his eyes turned from Jesus to the turmoil surrounding him.

“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:29-31

Instead of keeping his gaze on Jesus ("eyes up") he was overwhelmed with the physical world and took his sight off of the miracle that was in front of him, calling to him, to "Come".

When Peter did that, what was the result? Water began to give way, he became afraid and cried out for saving. He was not focused ("head down") in moving forward in faith, in trust. and he took his eyes off the, quite literal, prize.

Notice in Matthew it says Jesus reached out his hand and "caught him immediately". Jesus did not let Peter sink to the depths but rescued him immediately where Peter was. Peter was doubting the impossible, overwhelmed by the natural with Jesus standing on water, that he could walk out to Him and not be caught in the storm, but that is what Jesus is - the peace in our storms in even the most seemingly impossible of circumstances.

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

Proverbs 4:25

When I'm feeling overwhelmed by all I can't control I remind myself that there is someone who does have control. I close my eyes and picture myself stepping off that boat and walking across the water to Jesus. My gaze is straight, focused on reaching Him. I ignore the whipping winds and sea churning around us and I jump straight into His arms, His shelter and protection, and I cling to Him for dear life.

Oftentimes I am transported to dry ground, sitting on His lap in a throne like the child of His that I am. It's situated in the path of the parted Red Sea with mountain-high walls of water on both sides and planted mere steps from the Promised Land of which He has surely been leading me this whole time.

Of which, He is also surely leading you.

In my original chapter draft I took "head down, eyes up" as God saying: "you focus on your stuff and let ME focus on mine" and while I still agree with that, in part, it now sounds flawed.

By me focusing on "my stuff" and letting God focus on what God does it can create a separation and not moving in concert with God. There is truth in staying focused on what we need to without the pulls of distractions from the enemy, which seeks to kill and destroy, but we can't do it separate from God.

And there is truth to surrendering and letting God be God and not try to control everything but our business is God's business and God's business should be our business every single day. This is why it has to be "head down, eyes up" at the same time.

We need to stay focused on our path and fight the distractions of the worldly, while keeping our eyes on Jesus and staying grounded in the Word for the wisdom, discernment and comfort, we all so desperately need.

Head down, eyes up.

Glory to God, forever and ever.

Prayer:

God, I come before you in this moment with gratitude and praise.

You never take your eyes off me, let me never take my eyes off of you.

You will always find me when I am lost and celebrate when I am found.

Fill my Spirit with your Holy wisdom.

Fill my heart with your joy.

Fill my eyes with your light.

Illuminate my path and show me darkness is nothing to fear.

You will always catch me, you will always lead me back to the boat.

Let me be reminded that you are my "peace be still".