Devotion 3: Turn Your Eyes
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
My family has two very lovable dogs. Both of our dogs come running when they hear the crinkling sound of a bag of snacks being opened, or when someone says, “Treat!” Like most dogs, they are highly food-motivated. Occasionally, our spoiled (I mean, loved) pets get a bite of our food or a little scrap from the table. The amount of special treats increases immensely when my parents come to visit. Grandpa and Ruby have a special bond, and Ruby knows exactly who to sit by when food is nearby. One night, we had steak for dinner, and Ruby planted herself right next to Grandpa at the dinner table. Every time he moved his hand, picked up his fork, and ate a piece of steak, her eyes watched his every move. It didn’t matter that the rest of us around the table were eating the same thing; her gaze was completely set on what Grandpa was doing, and nothing we said or did could distract her. She was confident that he was going to come through with a treat.
Like Ruby watching Grandpa, we need to be “fixing our eyes on Jesus,” watching His every move, seeking His face, and aligning our lives to His purpose and plan. Over and over again, we find phrases like these in Scripture: “Look to the Lord,”(Psalm 105:4, Micah 7:7), “Seek the Lord,” (1 Chronicles 16:11, Zephaniah 2:3), and “Lift up your eyes,” (Psalm 121:1, Isaiah 40:26). Colossians 3:2 reminds us, "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." When Scripture repeats a theme, that means we had better pay attention to it!
To truly set our gaze on Christ, we must first rid ourselves of “everything that hinders.” I appreciate how the Amplified translation words it, “[Looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus.” I know that I am way too easily distracted by things that don’t matter. I let my gaze get pulled onto a difficult circumstance, an anxious thought, or even a “sin that so easily entangles.”
I wish this were one of those things where you do it once, and you’re set for life, but focusing our eyes on Jesus is a daily choice (sometimes it’s minute by minute). It is a commitment each day to align your heart with His. Where we choose to set our focus determines our direction. So, where are you headed? Do you have a clear purpose with a steady focus on your Savior, or are you going around in circles, distracted by the troubles and concerns of this world? Let me encourage you to “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace” (Lilias Trotter, 1922).