A Straight Shooter

I've heard this saying a time or two.  Honestly, probably just on television.  But I'll bet you can figure out what it means with no clues at all.  Really there are not too many options.  Either you're talking about someone who is shooting at something... and hitting it.  Or you're using it to describe a person who is honest and direct.  A straight shooter with the truth, like a bullet, or an arrow screaming toward the bulls-eye.

Bullets and arrows don't typically get off-target.  They generally hit exactly what they were aimed at.  Wait, you didn't hit your target last time you tried?  Well, either your sights were off or you aimed at the wrong thing.  Bullets and arrows are designed for one thing and one thing only to move as quickly as possible with as little drag as possible toward whatever they are aimed at.  Nobody invents a bullet that intentionally elevates or skews to one side or another.  Bullets are fine-tuned to go as straight as possible for as long as possible.  I've never seen an arrow that looked like a "C".

The only time an arrow or bullet stops is when it is moved off target by something else.  A branch for instance can change the trajectory. Even the wind can drive a bullet off course unless you compensated for it.

Think about your life as an arrow.  You're moving through the air headed right for something.  You're always moving straight-ahead in whatever direction you've been aimed.  There are some things that distract or can begin to move you off course - but then you're never really "off" course, you're just off a particular course.  Headed straight for whatever is in front of you.

The writer of Psalm 25 asks a question.  "What are God-worshipers like?"  And the answer he comes up with is, "Arrows aimed at God's bulls-eye."

The straightness of the arrow, it's aerodynamic properties and flight properties are only half the equation.  What the arrow is aimed at is as important as how good an arrow it is.  A straight arrow, a fast bullet, aimed at the wrong thing is still going to be wasted.

What kind of an arrow are you?  Do you get distracted, off-target easily?  Have you hit a few sin-branches or been blown off course by the wind of deception?  You are speeding toward something, do you know what it is that your aiming for?

As a follower of Jesus Christ I want to be a straight shooter- not perfect in my life - but purposeful.  I want to be the best arrow I can be and then I want to aim for perfection through the Holy Spirit.  A straight shooter has to have a straight arrow and a clear target.

Are you aiming for God's bulls-eye?