12 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, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
I do a number of crafts. If I stopped to consider how many hours I would need to complete a project before I started then I may not ever start a project again. However I break down the project into a number of chunks and do and finish each chunk before going to the next one. For example, in an patchwork project I would work on completing each block and then start joining all the blocks together. Then the top is layered with wadding and a backing fabric and sewn together before completing the border.
Perhaps that is the idea given in this passage from Hebrews. “Fixing our eyes on Jesus”, for me, means that there is a goal or aim that I need to have in my mind as I go through my day or week. This goal or aim becomes the project that I can work towards. There may be times when I do not have Jesus fixed in front of me. At those times it is a matter of looking at what I am doing and work out what to do to return to fixing my eyes on Jesus.
PRAYER: Jesus, help us to fix our eyes always on you. Sometimes we go astray and do not keep you upper most in our hearts and minds. At those times remind us of you and help us to return to fixing our eyes upon you. Amen.
Shirley Bowers
Lay Preacher