We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. Hebrews 12:2-3 NLT
You’ve experienced it. I have many times. I will be in a restaurant, a store, or a crowd of people and find out later that someone I would really have enjoyed seeing, perhaps even truly needed to see, was there too, but I didn’t know it. Often they were very near me, but because I didn’t expect to see them, I wasn’t looking for them, and I missed what could have been a dynamic connection.
God is ever-present with us, but if we aren’t looking for Him it’s likely we will not see Him to get through our hard times in victory. The Hebrew writer directs us to fix or keep our eyes on Jesus. That is the way to endure and not give up. What does it mean to keep your eyes on Jesus?
Look for Jesus and lock in. When we go on family vacations, we always have a lead driver and car. The lead driver is committed to the pace we all can follow and keeps aware of where we are and how we’re doing. We lock into that lead car and make the same moves.
Locking in on Jesus and His example, following His lead, takes us through. He is our encouragement, both as our example and as our help. He has gone before us. He has lived faithfully in this world, trusting the Father and yielding to His will. We are to follow in His footsteps (1 Peter 2:21). We draw our power and direction from Him.
Look one way only. Focusing or keeping your eyes means without distractions. The prefix to the Greek verb translated “looking” or “keeping” actually carries the meaning of “looking away from all others toward only one.” We are not looking at anything else. We turn our backs on all the other stuff. Out of all the good things we could look to and draw energy from, Jesus demands our exclusive gaze. Looking to anything or anyone else will eventually let us down.
Look forward to joy. Jesus anticipated the joy to come that would be His reward. He kept His eyes on the goal, knowing He would see the Father face to face with joy. That kept Him going. It will do it for us as well. We will see Him with our own eyes. Think about that. We will see Jesus with our eyes. We will see Him, hear Him, touch Him. So we keep looking and run to Him.
- Jesus, I know you have me in your sights. Help me stay focused on following only You, no distractions. I know there is joy ahead!