Therefore
we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God. Hebrews 12:1-2
A young friend
had an eye problem when I was a child.
She complained of her eyes hurting and watering. She went to an eye doctor. In the examination the doctor discovered that
she was amblyopic ... commonly known as "lazy eye." The doctor explained that her eyes have
trouble working together to focus. The
right eye focused correctly but the left eye had the tendency to wander from
the focal point. With some corrective
glasses and eye exercises she was able to focus both eyes correctly.
Spiritually speaking,
we are all a bit amblyopic... unable to stay focused on Christ. We are constantly allowing our eyes to become
distracted from the One we are to be focusing on. Looking at the life of Jesus, we find many
great qualities that contributed to His fulfilling His mission on earth. But one that assured us of our salvation was
His ability to stay focused...to stay true to the task at hand.
Jesus never
carried a day timer, notes or a "To Do" list, yet He remained
incredibly on course with what He was doing.
It wasn't that there weren't distractions to take Him off course. Satan threw everything he could at Jesus to
distract Him from His purpose. But he
remained focused in heart, motivation and action. Even His own disciples tried to distract Him.
Luke 9:51-56 Now
it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly
set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And
as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But
they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to
Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said,
"Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume
them, just as Elijah did?" But He turned and rebuked them, and said,
"You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy
men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village.
Jesus had a
great resolve about Him to do the will of the Father. We see it in the garden where He prayed for
God's will, not His own, to be done. His
face being set came from a heart that was bent on doing what the Father willed.
Nothing! No other person, no prevailing
social wind, or other force would be able to deter Him from his determined
course...you and me! It was not until we
see Jesus hanging on the cross that we hear His dying words that sum up His
focused heart.
John
19:30 So when Jesus had received the
sour wine,
He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Jesus had a
focused heart. His commission, purpose
and duty were fulfilled and completed as requested of the Father because His
heart was fully committed to God’s plan.
Here is an
attribute of Christ we all can benefit from in our lives. His example encourages us to stay focused on
Him and God’s plan for our lives.
Scripture to Claim:
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Mark 10:45
