Focusing on Jesus

I grew up playing baseball.  I enjoyed the game and all success I experienced was because I had great coaches--which included my dad.  For those who aren't familiar with baseball, even the fundamentals of the sport are quite complex and take years of practice to master.  One of the things I was taught from an early age after hitting the ball or stealing a base was to not waste time craning my neck to see what the fielder or catcher was doing.  I never had blazing speed and the action of turning to look towards home could have led to me being thrown out at second base.  Once committed to advance bases, the next base (while heeding the directives of the base coach!) was the priority.

With all that is going on in our lives and the world it is easy to lose focus on Jesus.  In light of the historical suffering of God's faithful people and persecuted believers Hebrews 12:1-2 states, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  When running a race it is tempting to focus on the finish line, and during our pilgrimage on earth it may be tempting to look forward to a new beginning, the end of a challenging season or the end of our days on earth instead of looking unto Jesus.  Our focus is not the finish, but that we finish well.  The only way we can finish well is to abide in Christ, to look to our Good Shepherd Jesus and follow Him in obedience and faith until the end.

Hebrews 12:3 gives us insight how we can know our gaze has drifted from Christ:  "For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."  Should we find ourselves weary and discouraged, this is evidence we have ceased to look to Jesus and are more caught up with ourselves, fretting over the prosperity of the wicked, giving space to thinking that disregards or opposes Jesus and countless other things that distract us from our LORD.  Jesus was not weary and discouraged when He was betrayed, rejected and crucified because of the job that was set before Him, His eyes being fixed on God the Father in heaven Whom He was pleased to obey.  Jesus reminded His disciples they would face hostility and opposition even as He had because "the servant is not above his master." (John 15:20)

Jesus said to His disciples in John 16:1-4, "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. ² They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. ³ And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. ⁴ But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you."  Instead of removing His disciples from the world to avoid persecution and trials, in His wisdom God allows His followers to remain and be helped by the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.  Our endurance and overcoming shame, hostility, weariness and discouragement with joy provides evidence to us and others of the genuine work of God in our hearts.  Having known Jesus Christ by faith in Him, we do well to look to Him and remember the things He has said, done and the example He provided.

Be looking unto Jesus, believer, and you will always be led in God's righteous ways and finish well by His grace.