Anyone involved in sports is well aware that where we fix our eyes changes everything.
“Keep your eye on the ball!” is perhaps the first phrase anyone playing sports has engrained into their head. Whether it’s trying to hit a ball or catch it, the most foundational element we learn is to keep our eyes on it.
It’s funny how this seemingly simple instruction is easier said than done. It’s often not necessarily because we don’t trust our coaches, but because we can become quickly distracted by the things happening around us, or thoughts about what we will do next once we catch the pass or make the hit.
In Hebrews 12, God provides us with a similar charge to this foundational piece of sports advice.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” - Hebrews 12:1-2
Notice the crucial words in the middle of this passage - “looking to Jesus.”
Followers of Christ are called to fix their eyes upon Him. Amidst the busyness and uncertainty that constantly surrounds us, God is the steady horizon providing peace.
In the words of Corrie Ten Boom,
“If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest.”
Unfortunately, just like the principle in sports, this is often easier said than done. We are prone to wander and find ourselves fixing our eyes elsewhere. Later in this passage in Hebrews 12, the author warns of how things like bitterness and sexual immorality can lead us astray. We are idol-making factories who must continuously assess where we are fixing our eyes.
Two areas that have been most impactful in helping me fix my eyes back on Jesus are remembering my salvation and my purpose.
1. My salvation.
Even after accepting Jesus as Lord and acknowledging that it’s only by God’s grace we are saved, we can still become like the “foolish Galatians” and quickly find ourselves forgetting that we are only saved by God’s grace, not any of our own works or good deeds. Let us remember that we were once dead in our trespasses. There is nothing a dead person can do to save themself. It’s only by God’s grace that we have been raised to new life in Him. Jesus alone is our Savior, not ourselves or anyone else.
2. My purpose.
The many pleasures and instant gratification all around us can make it easy to fall into believing that life is about us, and “our” kingdom. Instead of satisfying us however, a life focused on ourselves ultimately leaves us further and further away from the purpose for which we have been created. Followers of Jesus are invited to leave behind our self seeking pursuits that will always leave us wanting, and now live for a much higher calling of living for God’s glory.
Where are you fixing your eyes? Our answer to this question changes everything, and our Salvation and our Purpose can only be found in our Creator & Savior, Jesus. Therefore, let us join David in his declaration in Psalm 16:8, “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
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