Read with me, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:25-27
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter 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.” Hebrews 12:2
In Matthew we see the words, do not worry, do not become anxious, fret not. The word Anxious as it is used here, translates to “distracted” from the Greek. Our thoughts play such a vital role in our general state of being. Doubt, worry, anxiety, distractions, they all serve to derail our thoughts, and our faith. Today I want to remind you to not allow yourself to be distracted. Situations can so easily lead our focus away from Christ, stealing our peace. I want to remind you today, that there is no medal for the best worrier. God never meant for us to do mental gymnastics to outsmart the onslaughts of the enemy on our souls. It is in no way His intention for you to suffer turmoil. It is the enemy that steals our peace. And our weapon is sharpened as we fix our focus, not on the problem, but on the Man. We are reminded to keep our eyes fixed and focused on Christ, who is the author and finisher of our FAITH. The answer is right there in front of our eyes (SEE what I did there?). If the lie is in losing focus, then the solution is cemented in keeping it. Faith is initiated when we behold Him, it is also strengthened and sustained in the quiet moments we intently lock eyes with Him and refuse to look away.
Did you know He loves to look you in the eyes? Today, He is inviting you into a tender moment of surrender. Look away from that which would keep you busy, from those things that demand your attention, the clutter of life, and just see Him. As a husband lifts the veil in a marriage ceremony to share a moment of tender intimacy with his bride, so He has come and torn the veil that separates us from Him. (2 Cor 3:18) As a bride whose veil has been lifted, behold Him unveiled. In purity, give Him all you attention right now. Engage Him, love on Him. This is how we become like Him, by beholding Him. This is how your hopelessness dies. This is where the despondency flees. In His embrace is where you see Him, and become like Him. Your answer is in beholding.
When we allow ourselves to be constantly distracted, worry becomes a way of life. We look to the left, we look to the right, and wonder where our help will come from. Turn your eyes to the hill, lift your attention higher. Set your focus on the hill, on that hill where He died. Behold Him there, attaining the hope of a free life…for you. Do not look to the left, look away from the chaos. Do not look to the right, take your focus off the lack. Set your eyes on Him, allow faith to be initiated in your heart. Do not allow distractions to initiate worry. Do not be anxious, take no thought of worry.
What are you looking at? What holds your attention? If you feel anxious, you might be reflecting what you look at. If you feel hopeless you might be representing the idea of what you perceive. Just behold Him. He is there in front of you right now. See Him as He is, kind and caring. See Him as He has always been, strong and able. He loves you. His hand is mighty to save. He is willing, ever present, and ready to help. Just behold Him. Turn your eyes on Him.
