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I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

—Psalm 32:8

Everybody else was a-steppin’ and a-kickin,’ and I was stuck with my feet glued to the floor, my eyes glued to my aerobics instructor’s feet. What is she doing?

For some reason, I couldn’t process it. I just couldn’t make my feet do what hers were doing. If she moved right, I’d move left. If she moved left, I’d move right. Why couldn’t I catch on to the routine? What is wrong with me?

Flashbacks of physical education class flooded my mind. Voices haunted me.

“Why didn’t you hit that ball?”

“How come you didn’t catch that?”

No one ever wanted me on their team. It’s no wonder. I am so uncoordinated.

“Kick to the back,” I heard my instructor say.

If the step didn’t change every two seconds, maybe I’d catch on to this, I argued, my throat tightening. I can’t cry over this. Stop it! I berated myself. Do what you can. Keep moving!

Thankfully, the song came to a close.

At the end of the class, I approached my instructor, “Shawn, I am so frustrated with a couple of the steps in that routine, especially that fancy footwork in the kicking song. I just can’t figure it out.”

“Let’s do it together. Step forward,” she demonstrated.

“Okay,” I tried.

“Step back…triple-step…step forward…step back…triple-step.”

“I don’t get it. Can you do it again more slowly?”

She repeated her demonstration in slow motion, while I studied her feet. Then I tried to mimic her actions, but I couldn’t make it work. I grunted in exasperation. Maybe I am just not cut out for this.

Shawn demonstrated the steps once more. I tried again and followed, albeit clumsily.

“You’ll get there,” my friend, Anne, called from the side.

“And what you didn’t see,” said Becky, another friend, “is that I stopped, too. I couldn’t figure it out either.”

Do you ever feel like you are not cut out for the Christian life? You keep making the same mistakes. You take one step forward, then one step back. You get so frustrated with yourself you want to quit. Everybody else seems to be triple-stepping right through it. Why can’t you catch on?

I know the feeling. Sometimes I wish God would lead me like He led the Israelites in the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and fire to give light for night travel (Exodus 13:21). When the cloud moved, they moved. How easy would that be! I would never have to second-guess which direction to head in; I would just follow the cloud.

But we know how that story ended. The Israelites still made mistakes. In fact, they kept repeating the same lap around the wilderness for 40 years. 

As Becky indicated, no one has the routine down pat. Everyone gets tripped up from time to time and needs a little encouragement to keep moving. Everyone needs one-on-one assistance from the Master Teacher.

And He is there to give it. God says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go” (Psalm 32:8a).

He may not use a cloud in the process, but He has given us His Word to clear our cloudy thoughts, for His Word is useful to teach, rebuke, correct, and train (2 Timothy 3:16). He's also given us His Spirit to remind us of His Word (John 14:26), to guide us into all truth, (John 16:13) and to counsel (John 14:26).

“I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8b).

His eye is upon us. Let us fix our eyes on Him and follow His lead.

With eyes locked and His hand on our back (Psalm 139:5), we will move in the rhythm of a beautifully choreographed dance—all the way till the end of the song.

Beloved, you’re not only cut out for this Christian life—you’ll be cuttin’ a rug in no time.

Dear God, thank You for choosing me for Your team. I know You choreograph my steps and care about every detail in my daily routine (Psalm 37:23). Thank You for Your patience and mercy when I repeat the same mistakes. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on You. Lead me, Lord, and I will follow, albeit clumsily. Amen.