Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus
What does “keeping your eyes on Jesus” look like for you?
Verse of the Day
“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”
Today’s Devotional
We do what? What is “this”? The prior verse says that we are to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up” as well as “run with endurance the race God has set before us.” So we are to throw off anything that hinders us and run our God-given race with endurance, all by keeping our eyes on Jesus.
But how do I keep my eyes on Someone I cannot see? That seems to be an important question.
This is not the time to insert churchy answers, yet they all apply. Go to church. Read your Bible. Pray. But we are talking about “rubber meets the road” faith here. If Jesus initiates any faith that I have, and then He perfects it, how do I keep my eyes on Him?
I can only tell you what it looks like for me. I need to start my day with Him. I need to read my Bible with the intent of growing in knowledge of God’s love for me (and all of mankind) and learning to apply that knowledge in how to actually behave today. I need to be confessing my struggles to Him, and for me that has to be written down. I need to practice silence, so that I can actually give Him the chance to speak to my heart in an environment where I can hear Him. When I receive a word from God, I need to ask for the strength to follow through. When God provides an answer, I need to be incredibly grateful and full of praise. I need to be asking God to show me the things that are hindering me in my relationship with Him and others. And then I need to work on removing those things, all with His help. I need to be talking to God all throughout the day, because I can have a fantastic quiet time in the morning and then get sidetracked within an hour. I need to treat every single person I encounter with love and mercy and kindness, hoping they will get a glimpse of Jesus in me. I need to lay my head down at night and talk to God before I sleep. I need to make space in my life for God.
Why do I need to do all of that? Let’s look at what today’s verse says about what Jesus did. He knew He was going to have to do some incredibly painful things. But He did those things because of the joy awaiting Him. His joy was not just that He would be reunited with God and seated in a place of honor, it was also that He had provided a way for each of us to be with Him forever. We are part of His joy.
So when I seek Jesus with my life, it is not just so that I will go to heaven. The joy awaiting me is that others might follow my lead and find Jesus. Our joy in salvation will be multiplied when we share it with others. And I can share my faith more easily when my eyes are on Jesus. When I’m allowing Him to strip me of the sin that hinders my witness. When I don’t give up easily. When I ask for eyes that see people the way Jesus does. Which I can only do by having the kind of relationship with Jesus that guides every facet of my life.
Finally, I was reminded this morning that joy comes from being in the presence of God. This unfathomable reality is what awaits us. Psalms 16:11 says, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” Our joy is not in the blessings of living an obedient life, our joy is God Himself. How can we live today that shows how excited we are to be in the Lord’s presence for eternity?
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Do you have things that hinder your relationships/faith/witness? Write them down and ask Jesus to show you how to change – just for today.
Which parts of your day need more focus on Jesus?
How can you deepen your relationship with Jesus so that it’s easier to keep your eyes on Him?
Who in your life needs to see Jesus in you today?
How can you live today that shows how excited you are to be in the Lord’s presence for eternity?