Day 14 of Lent: Focus
Our verse and thought for today is a nice follow up to yesterday. There are a number of things which play into good self-discipline and one of those is focus or single mindedness. You don’t even have to have ADD to struggle with focus. With information and opportunities flying at us at 100 MPH, it is very easy to get distracted and lose your focus.
Part of this whole concept is understanding what you should be focusing on. Our verses for today talk about that and help us understand what is eternally important is maintaining our spiritual focus.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)
How easily the devil, the world around us and even our own sinful self try to distract us from focusing on Jesus. There are many other people, opportunities or things of this life which are flashed before us as more appealing that Jesus.
There is an analogy in those verses which helps us with the whole idea of focus – “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.” In other words – think of your life as a race (it is your own race to run, everyone else has their own). Think about how you are going to run your race so that you always keep your eyes and heart focused on the finish line of heaven and Jesus standing there, ready to welcome you to an eternity of perfection.
There is one other part of those verses to remember. Did you notice how the writer to the Hebrews also sets before us Jesus and the race he had to run to the cross as an example and motivation? When we think our race is hard or we are tempted to lose our focus, review and remember the path Jesus had and how he was laser-focused on the goal his Father in heaven had set out before him.
With that in mind, never give up your focus on Jesus and the crown of glory you have waiting for you at the end of your race in heaven!