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What are you looking at? I’d like you to think with me not so much about our physical eyes, but about what we look at with the “eyes” of our hearts and minds. What we devote our thoughts and attention to is very important and influences the course of our lives. Every day we have the choice of what will occupy our thoughts, desires, and affections. This is very important not only for our individual lives but for the church at large. Most Christians are familiar with the scripture’s analogy of the physical body with the body of Christ, the church. As goes the individual members, so goes the church.

I want to challenge us as individuals, and as churches, to keep our focus on what’s most important; to major on the majors. What is most important? First, Jesus said the greatest commandments were for us to love God with our whole being, and our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:28-31). Second, one of God’s primary purposes for every believer is that we would become like Christ. (Rom. 8:28-30; Phil. 1:6) Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Being a Christian, yet staying the same, is not an option. Third, in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) Jesus gave us and the church our marching orders. If we are to grow in, and accomplish these things, we must keep our focus, attention, and efforts on them. We must guard against allowing other things in our lives to be elevated to a more important status.

Jesus is our example of how to stay true to what God has called us to. In Heb. 12:1-2, we read, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” How was Jesus able to be 100% victorious and faithful to His mission? By setting His eyes or “staying focused” on the joy set before Him. Verse 2 tells us how we can be victorious and faithful to the call on our lives. By fixing our eyes on Jesus! 

There’s another vital verse to consider. It tells us how to become more like Christ. 2 Cor. 3:18: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” “Beholding the glory of the Lord.” There it is. Beholding. So, I’ll close where I began. What are you looking at?

David Edmonston is the pastor of Trinity Church in Prospect. He can be reached at davidetrinitychurch@gmail.com.