Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. – Hebrews 12:2-3
Teaching my son to ride a bicycle many years ago was frustrating for him. He kept swerving to one side and falling. Realizing that this happened because he kept looking to one side, I had an idea. “See that pole?” I asked him, “Just keep your eyes on it and pedal.” He did just that, and this time he kept going. He remembered that incident many years later when he told me, “Whatever I fix my eyes on is where I am headed.”
My son, who is now a pilot for Delta Airlines, has told me that he shifts his gaze between the instrument panel, external visual references, and the runway during landing, depending on flight conditions and the specific phase of flight. A key technique is to keep his eyes moving, scanning between instruments and the exterior, to maintain control and avoid accidents. It is no small wonder that Hebrews 12:2 calls us to “keep our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith”.
Life’s responsibilities and routines can draw our attention away from our spiritual walk. So can sinful habits and obsessions that entangle us. But if we keep our eyes on Jesus and ask Him to help us put Him first in our thoughts, decisions, and actions, He will guide us in everything we do and say, enabling us in our spiritual journey. Of course, this can be challenging, but God desires to help you and me to fulfill the roles He has given us. He will give you the strength to endure and overcome anything that opposes our walk so we won’t “grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3).
By keeping your focus on His example of enduring the cross for you and me, and being exalted to the right hand of God following His resurrection and ascension to the Father, we can overcome weariness and persevere in the face of many of life’s challenges.
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