Are you sinking? Does it feel as if the waves of this life are on the verge of pulling you under? Perhaps the busyness and stresses of life are weighing you down so much you can’t seem to rise to the surface. I submit any time you feel as if you are sinking is because your focus is somewhere other than Jesus. It sounds so simple, just look at Jesus and life will be smooth sailing.
Well, not exactly, and keeping our focus on Christ is far easier said than done in a world where Satan never ceases to bombard us with distraction after distraction. If you said, ‘yes’ to the “Are you sinking?” question, it’s probably time to evaluate whether we’ve taken our eyes off Jesus and placed them somewhere else.
The story of Jesus and Peter walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-31) provides all the example we need when it comes to keeping our focus on God. Jesus never lost focus. No matter what was going on around Him, He kept His eyes on the Father and the mission He had been given. Peter, on the other hand, was much more like us. He looked at Jesus and knew He wanted to be part of whatever He was doing. So, at the Lord’s invitation, Peter stepped out of the boat and began to walk on water as well. But then Peter began looking at the winds and the waves surrounding him. He took His focus off Jesus and immediately began to sink. Never doubt a loss of focus can be deadly.
What’s going on in your life? What’s giving you a sinking feeling? When you think about those circumstances, are you certain you are looking at Jesus first and seeing what’s going on through His eyes? Too often we try and control these on our own and only call out to Jesus when we realize we can’t handle it and think the situation may very well bury us. Just like Peter. He was good until he shifted his focus to what was going on around him instead of who stood before him. One little shift, one massive difference in results.
One way we keep our eyes on Jesus is to begin each day seeking Him in prayer. Spend a little time talking with Him and reading some of His Word. You don’t have to read a lot but read a little to get to know Him a bit better. Study to understand His mission and pray to discern what part you might play in it. Do everything as if you were doing it directly for Jesus (Colossians 3:23-24). Never act out of selfishness; the moment you do, your eyes are on you and not on Him. Look for ways to bless people with your actions, time, and money. When you bless others, do so as generously as you can. Everything Christ has given to you has been given so it can be given away on His behalf, so be extravagant in your generosity.
Keeping others first helps keep your eyes off your own troubles and desires. If you must be constantly busy, make certain you are busy serving others and not pursuing selfish gain or irrelevant tasks. Begin with space to commune with God and add whatever is necessary on to that. Don’t reverse the order! Do all things with the knowledge God sees your heart and your motive. Peel away the distractions until you can see Him clearly. Are you sinking? Refocus your eyes on the only One worthy of your life.