Fixing our focus

Hebrews 12:1-2

 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.

This is a very loaded verse, in which are many subjects to write about, but as I have been journeying through Jeremiah, I have been discovering one theme.  The centrality of God and making him the source of everything in my life.  Casting my mind back to chapter 2 of Jeremiah, therein lies the theme for the whole book.  All that He is, all that He gives brings life.  He is the fountain of life.  All that I do in an attempt to fill my own life in my own way brings death. In my previous blog, I likened my attempt at quenching spiritual thirst my own way to drinking sea water. 

My journey through Jeremiah has taken me to another aspect of making God the centre of my life and, that is, where I put my focus.  The writer of Hebrews covers this really well in chapter 12.  When I read the first two verses, it is clear to me that walking with God on this earth will require endurance, however, when one runs a race, one has a focus.  In sport, the race is run to win and get that prize.  In the Christians walk or race, the prize is Jesus and eternal life with Him. My gaze in this life must be firmly fixed on Jesus. If I loose that focus, suddenly the race becomes pointless and the enemy of my soul will quickly endeavour to completely side track me altogether. 

There is a good example of looking to Jesus found in the book of Matthew.  Jesus had walked on water to get to the disciples on the boat who were battling a storm and rough waters.  They were petrified until they realised it was Him.  Peter wants to walk on the water to Jesus, and so Jesus invited him to do so :

Matthew 14:28-30

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

Peter did well and I imagine was focused on Jesus as he walked out on the water to Him.  Peters focus shifts from Jesus to the water, winds and waves and sinks. Praise God that he knew to cry out to Jesus to be saved.  So, the focus Peter had, to start with was Jesus, and so long as that was the case Peter continued to walk on the water. This is exactly how it is as the writer to Hebrews puts it, " looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith"

It is so clear that when we commit to walking this life as believers in Jesus that source of spiritual thirst quenching is found in Him, and so long as we focus on Him, we will walk the stormy waters.