FIX YOUR EYES

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. — Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

If you are like me, you have been familiar with the phrase "Fix your eyes on Jesus" for some time, but you may wonder what it means, what it looks like. When I was a teenager I was stumped by Christ’s command to pick up my cross every day and follow him. I had no idea how to do that. Did it mean that I should carve up the breakfast table and drag it around the neighborhood? As I studied and prayed, I became convinced that it means that every time my will crossed God’s will, I dragged my will back in line with his. It means doing the things that I know are good and true, whether I feel like it or not. It means setting my face and heart toward heaven just as Jesus did. But what about "Fix your eyes on Jesus"?

I believe that phrase means that we study how Jesus lived, how he loved, and follow his example. When we find ourselves in a difficult place, we do what he did: we turn to our Father. Faith is not wishful thinking or theatrics. Faith is born in us as we fix our eyes on Jesus and as we recognize the fingerprints of God the Father all over our lives.

— Sheila Walsh