There is no quicker path to destruction than to take your eyes off Jesus. Let your focus waver for even a minute and you will be heading down a path you never intended and have no interest in following. It’s troubling how we can spend hours on our knees with God, and seconds later lose our focus and find ourselves in a dark place. It comes down to discipline, but focus is taxing of our energy, so we often tire and give up.
Still, if we are serious about living a life worthy of Christ, we’ve got to get better at keeping our focus on Him. One slip can cause years of damage. As you approach this day, this hour, this moment, let me ask you: “Where is your focus?”
It’s so easy to shift our gaze from the beauty and provision of Christ to our own problems and issues. We can pray in the morning but be depressed before lunch. Life is good when we are focused on Jesus, and it tends to fall apart when we are not. I often ponder how I can be so stupid as to ever let my gaze wander from Him. Yet, time and again, I find myself more focused on myself than on God.
We have problems in life. They are never going to go away. Jesus warned us we would have trouble in this life (John 16:33), forever settling the question of whether coming to Him would result in a worry-free existence. If anything, following Jesus will provoke more problems for us rather than fewer. The old quote, “Life is hard and then you die” is not far off. But there is so much beauty and goodness we can pack in between if only we keep our focus on the One who created us for His purpose.
We lose our focus because we are more interested in what we can get for ourselves than in what God has for us. Remember, He has uniquely created you to do work only you can do (Ephesians 2:10). It is when we are doing that work we are most alive. This is where we want to live. It is the only place we will find true peace and joy. All other pursuits are temporary and meaningless. They will all eventually leave us feeling empty. Only Jesus satisfies.
Where is your focus? Is it on yourself and what you wish to accomplish? Is it on seeking pleasure, comfort, or security? Or is it on the One who lived for you, bled and died for you, and ultimately rose again so you could know true life? When it is on the One we call Lord, life simply works no matter how difficult it becomes. The next time you are struggling, take a moment and ask yourself, “Where is my focus?” I’ll guarantee it won’t be on Him, because in Him there is always hope, love, and purpose. These are the exact things we lose when our eyes are on ourselves. Keep your eyes on Him. Life will still be hard, but the ending will be priceless.