Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” NIV Heb 12:2

Why do I tend to be like the stubborn people of the Bible? Like Moses and Peter instead of the ones after God’s own heart like Joseph, David and John?

Why do I take after the ones who, though devoted to God, often shifted their focus off of him, and ended up in trouble or worse, sin?

Peter was very passionate. He loved what he did and did it with all his heart. He was the first to recognize Jesus was the Christ, the first to step out of the boat, the first to run to the tomb.

But he also was the first to deny Jesus.

Moses was loyal to his people. First the Egyptians, then the Hebrews. He sought to please them, sometimes above pleasing the Lord.

But he was also chosen to be his people’s deliverer, he spoke to God, sat in God’s presence and saw the Promised Land.

Looking back on these men of God, I shouldn’t be upset to compare myself to them. They were loved and used mightily by God, but they also made the same mistakes I hope to learn from and avoid.

They both looked to man instead of God. They both considered themselves and their well-being before pleasing their Lord, and they both fell, one out of the boat, one off the mountain, so to speak.

When Peter took his eyes off Jesus, his faith weakened, and he began to sink. When he took his eyes off Jesus, he worried about his own life and what others thought of him.

When Moses shifted his focus off God, he relied on his own strength to please his people. When he listened to the murmurs of the hardened Israelites, he gave into peer pressure, making it worse for himself and his flock.

If only they had kept their eyes on the Lord. If only they sought his righteousness, who knows what blessings they might have received, or how many more people they could have lead to God?

Fixing my eyes on Jesus. That’s what I should focus on instead of wallowing in my imperfections. Instead of worrying about my lack of faith, I should run to the tomb, or trek to the Promised Land. God is waiting.

God is waiting!