Hebrews 12: 2a
“Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfector of our faith…”
A couple weeks ago, I introduced my kids to the movie Sandlot. The best movie about
baseball! If you remember in the beginning of the movie Smalls asks his stepdad to teach him how to play baseball. When they go out into the yard to play, Dad tells Smalls to keep his eye on the ball. The first ball comes toward Smalls, he takes his eye off the ball and misses. Dad reminds him again to keep his eye on the ball; he does, and takes a ball to the eye. When they go in to get a cold compress on it, Dad says, “He kept his eye on the ball!”
In baseball, you must keep your eye on the ball. Anytime you take your eye off the ball you are going to miss. You’ll miss the catch, you miss the pitch, and you might even get beaned in the head. In order to play baseball (or any sport for that matter) you must keep your eye on the ball.
The same is true in life. If we want to succeed in life, if we want to hit the mark, and achieve great goals we must keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the source of our faith and He is the One who will perfect (complete) our faith.
How many times have I gotten “too busy” to spend time with Him and at the same time I became more anxious and irritable. This is not a mere coincidence! When my eyes are focused on Jesus I have more energy, am more pleasant, and seek to help others.
Matthew 14 gives us a prime example of what happens when we take our eyes off Jesus. The disciples were out in a boat. During the night, they saw someone walking on the water towards them and assumed it was a ghost. Then Jesus spoke and told them not to fear for it was He. Peter said, “Lord, if it’s You, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus told him to come on out and Peter began to walk on the water. After Peter began walking, the wind began to blow and Peter started focusing on the wind rather than the Savior that could tame the wind. When he shifted his focus from Jesus to the wind he began to sink. He cried out to Jesus and Jesus saved him.
Where is my focus? Am I focusing on Christ or am I focusing on all the things I “need” to do, all the trials surrounding me? When I focus on Christ my head is clearer and I have
nothing to fear.
Psalm 56:11—“In God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Psalm 34:4—“I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
Where is your focus?
