Stay Focused
By Jeannine
Sawall
“Therefore, since we
are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every
weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set
out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus the author and perfector of our faith.”
Hebrews
12:1-2 (NIV, emphasis added)
I
recently got my first pair of glasses. Not only were they the first pair of
“real” glasses I owned, my prescription required both a small distance
correction AND a reading correction. The doctor suggested I try a progressive
lens. I was a little apprehensive about going from nothing to a
multi-prescription lens!
When
I picked up my glasses and had them fitted, the difference in my vision was
stunning. While my distance prescription is very slight, the crispness and
details brought into focus were amazing. Reading
also became easier and going from a reading focus to a distance focus was quick.
What was difficult with this new set of glasses was remembering to “look with
my nose.” Progressive lenses require you to look directly at whatever it is you
want in focus. If I moved only my eyes to see something at the side, without
moving my head, my vision became distorted and out of focus. I had to move my
head so that what I was looking at was directly within my line of sight to keep
things crisp and clear.
In
the same way, our walk with the Lord is like wearing progressive lenses. When
we keep our eyes directly on Jesus, we see things more clearly. However, when
we take our eyes off of the Lord, things around us distort our vision of Him
and we falter. Just as Peter was called out of the boat by Jesus to walk on
water…when his eyes were on the Lord, his feet were steady and despite the wind
and the waves, his path was clear; he was headed directly to Jesus. However,
when he took his eyes off of the Lord, the problems of the world came into
focus and overwhelmed him and he began to sink (Matthew
14:22-33). What better example do we need to keep our eyes clearly focused
on the Lord?
The
problems of this world will distort our vision and cause us become overwhelmed.
We need to remember not to focus on our circumstances; not to focus on our
problems, weaknesses or foes. We are called to fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfector of our faith. It is only when we keep our eyes directly on
Him we are filled with confidence and can see more clearly.
GOING DEEPER:
1.
What confidences have you experienced by keeping your eyes on Jesus?
2. What does keeping
your eyes fixed on Jesus require of you?
FURTHER READING:
Jeannine
is a wife and mother of four active boys. She works in property management and actively
walks along those experiencing grief.
