What If? Part II: The Power of Vision
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
-Hebrews 12:1-2
Think back to your first driving lesson. When you finally made it out on the road for the first time you learned that wherever you looked, the car would follow. If you gazed at the oncoming traffic, your car seemed magnetically attracted to them (much to the dismay of your parent-passenger). Wherever you set your eyes, your path with follow. This is universally true! The scripture is full of examples of how people’s lives and choices were deeply effected by where the gazed.
In Genesis, Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom, two chapters later we find him living in the city. Jesus, fixed his eyes on the joy set before him (our salvation) and endured the cross to bring it to pass. Luke 9:51 says that Jesus "set his face to go to Jerusalem" even though he knew that he would face the cross. Paul exhorts the Philippians to set their thoughts on things that are lovely, pure, and of good report. He instructs the Colossians to "Set [their] minds on things above, not on things of earth." And the writer of Hebrews tells us in today's passage to fix our eyes on Jesus.
Why is this important? Because wherever you set your eyes, your path will follow. On a diet, if all you think about is "I can't eat that!" then you are constantly tempted, because what you are thinking about is "that" thing. We overcome temptation, not by thinking negatively about the temptation, but by fixing our eyes on the goal. You don't overcome a bad habit by saying, "I can't behave 'that' way anymore." You overcome the habit by replacing it with a positive habit, by fixing your eyes on the desired result.
Likewise, as we seek to see God's kingdom come in our lives and in our world, we cannot focus on the problems in the world, or on the roadblocks that we perceive stand in our way. We focus on the prayer "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done." We fix our eyes on Jesus, and let our path carry us there.
What if? What if we were able to impact South Tulsa? What if because of FAITH, South Tulsa experienced the grace and love of God? What if the unemployed, the single parent, the parent of a special needs child, the teen, the child, the single adult, the divorced, the widow or widower found out that God loved them because we were faithfully following the will of God? What if nothing stood in our way?
Homework this week: Let us focus on Christ this week. Run the race that is set before us. Don't worry about any other race, just run the one before us. Let us look to Christ and listen for his voice guiding us into the adventure of obedience.
-Hebrews 12:1-2
Think back to your first driving lesson. When you finally made it out on the road for the first time you learned that wherever you looked, the car would follow. If you gazed at the oncoming traffic, your car seemed magnetically attracted to them (much to the dismay of your parent-passenger). Wherever you set your eyes, your path with follow. This is universally true! The scripture is full of examples of how people’s lives and choices were deeply effected by where the gazed.
In Genesis, Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom, two chapters later we find him living in the city. Jesus, fixed his eyes on the joy set before him (our salvation) and endured the cross to bring it to pass. Luke 9:51 says that Jesus "set his face to go to Jerusalem" even though he knew that he would face the cross. Paul exhorts the Philippians to set their thoughts on things that are lovely, pure, and of good report. He instructs the Colossians to "Set [their] minds on things above, not on things of earth." And the writer of Hebrews tells us in today's passage to fix our eyes on Jesus.
Why is this important? Because wherever you set your eyes, your path will follow. On a diet, if all you think about is "I can't eat that!" then you are constantly tempted, because what you are thinking about is "that" thing. We overcome temptation, not by thinking negatively about the temptation, but by fixing our eyes on the goal. You don't overcome a bad habit by saying, "I can't behave 'that' way anymore." You overcome the habit by replacing it with a positive habit, by fixing your eyes on the desired result.
Likewise, as we seek to see God's kingdom come in our lives and in our world, we cannot focus on the problems in the world, or on the roadblocks that we perceive stand in our way. We focus on the prayer "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done." We fix our eyes on Jesus, and let our path carry us there.
What if? What if we were able to impact South Tulsa? What if because of FAITH, South Tulsa experienced the grace and love of God? What if the unemployed, the single parent, the parent of a special needs child, the teen, the child, the single adult, the divorced, the widow or widower found out that God loved them because we were faithfully following the will of God? What if nothing stood in our way?
Homework this week: Let us focus on Christ this week. Run the race that is set before us. Don't worry about any other race, just run the one before us. Let us look to Christ and listen for his voice guiding us into the adventure of obedience.