16 Aug Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus

A couple of weeks ago I competed in an aquathlon and as I mentioned in my recap, I had a really difficult time during the swim.

An open water swim is always so different from a pool swim. Not only is the water dark, but there are other competitors, and you have to sight, a term used to look up to find the buoys, to stay on course. When there is wind, waves or poor visibility, sighting becomes very difficult.

I faced this difficulty just a few weeks ago. Due to the sun being in my face, I had to stop and tread water several times, pausing to squint to try to find the buoys. In fact, it was so difficult at times that I debated quitting because I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to finish.

And as always during a race, Father God began to speak to me.

Losing sight, even for just a few moments, will cause you to go off course.

Yes, scripture tells us to walk by faith, not by sight. But in order to walk by faith we have to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus!

I can’t tell you how often I got off-course because I failed to sight the buoys. I wasted so much time and energy and wound up more exhausted than if I had kept my eyes fixed on the buoys the whole time.

I remember trying to convince myself while swimming that surely I could take 10 strokes without sighting and still be going in the right direction. But sure enough, I was wrong! Just 10 strokes without looking up to find the buoys wasn’t often enough.

Isn’t that so true when we take our eyes off the Father? We think we can go one day or one week without keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, but the truth is even just a few hours without focusing on Him will cause us to drift off course.

Hebrews 11:2 reminds us of the importance of gazing our eyes onto Jesus. It says, “We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection” or as another translation says, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

Truly, Papa God desires for us to walk so intimately with Him that every second of every day He is what we are focused on. He makes it very clear to us, “we look away from the natural realm.” Why did He give us this instruction? Because He knows the damage that is caused when we lose sight of Him.

Every time we lose sight of Him, it causes further exhaustion and weariness and makes it that much more difficult to get back on course. But, the beautiful thing is, He is such a loving Father who always helps reroute us when we stray away.

What are you gazing your attention upon? Have you lost sight of Him because of your focus on the natural realm? Do you realize every time you take your eyes off of Him you are only making it harder for yourself in the long run?

Although life is full of distractions and it’s not always easy to fix our eyes on Jesus, it’s a command, which means it’s doable. Just like it takes training to sight during a swim, it will take time training to keep your eyes on Him. And in the end, when you choose to fix your eyes on Jesus, life’s journey will be met with much less exhaustion and much more joy because He will lead you forward into faith’s perfection.

——————–
Have you picked up a copy of my book? Buy In Due Time, a 60-day devotional for hope + encouragement in the waiting.

I created a group on facebook as an extension of my book + blog to discuss anything + everything. Women only! Come join us!

{Let’s Connect} Facebook • Instagram • Bloglovin • Pinterest • Twitter