Isaiah 26:3
"You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. "
Then, Sunday at church the pastor talked about keeping our eyes on Christ. Our hearts set on things above. The verse was in Hebrews 12 where it says to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."
We all congratulate Peter for stepping out of the boat and walking on water. But Jesus didn't. Jesus chided him for sinking; for his lack of faith. We cheer because Peter looked at Christ, Jesus was disappointed because he looked away.
I think that maybe that's what faith is. Keeping our minds, hearts, and eyes focused on God. Maybe it doesn't have as much to do with what we are thinking as with where we are looking.
And I'm thinking God is trying to tell me something.
I want to have that kind of focus. I asked God to show me what I'm looking at instead of Him. He told me - me. I don't look at my accomplishments, etc. I look at my inadequacies, failures, fears, inabilities... All the time. That's what I'm focused on instead of Him. And it may seem humble, I can almost rationalize it, but self-centered is self-centered, no matter what it looks like.
Here's lookin' at You.
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. "
Then, Sunday at church the pastor talked about keeping our eyes on Christ. Our hearts set on things above. The verse was in Hebrews 12 where it says to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."
We all congratulate Peter for stepping out of the boat and walking on water. But Jesus didn't. Jesus chided him for sinking; for his lack of faith. We cheer because Peter looked at Christ, Jesus was disappointed because he looked away.
I think that maybe that's what faith is. Keeping our minds, hearts, and eyes focused on God. Maybe it doesn't have as much to do with what we are thinking as with where we are looking.
And I'm thinking God is trying to tell me something.
I want to have that kind of focus. I asked God to show me what I'm looking at instead of Him. He told me - me. I don't look at my accomplishments, etc. I look at my inadequacies, failures, fears, inabilities... All the time. That's what I'm focused on instead of Him. And it may seem humble, I can almost rationalize it, but self-centered is self-centered, no matter what it looks like.
Here's lookin' at You.
Good thoughts. Today in a women's leadership training session, several kept making reference to their inadequacies. This is a good reminder that absorption with anything other than Christ is misdirected.
ReplyDeleteWow! I came over to tell you how much I enjoyed your short story at CFOM--and how you must have been writing about me--then I find this post, which again MUST be about me. :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. Lifting my gaze...
Thanks Joyce and Patricia.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm glad you enjoyed my short story, Patricia!