Fix your eyes on Jesus

Recently, during my time of reflection and talking to God, I realised that I had shifted my gaze from God to the things I wanted from God.

I noticed that the discouraging events that I faced over the past few months had stopped me from doing the things I normally do that helped me to fix my eyes on Jesus. It hindered me from dwelling more on the wondrous works of God and it made me begin doubting and questioning God and life.

When we shift

The moment our gaze shifts from God, we enable worry, fear, doubt and anxiety to work in our lives. As a result, we lose focus on who Jesus is. We begin to see things negatively and we start seeing God as a God who is selective and only favours specific people and not us ( Romans 2:11).

The moment our gaze is shifted we give the devil a footstool to manipulate us into believing that this Christian life is too difficult. We give him the power to make us think what is the point of seeking God when we don’t see the result of our effort now. The devil will try and make us believe that nothing is happening when we are fasting, praying and worshipping God.

Something is happening

No, it’s all a lie! Something is happening! Something is happening when we pray. Something is happening when we worship. Something is happening when we devote ourselves to the reading of the word of God daily. Something is happening when we remain in the path of holiness and righteousness. While we may not see a physical result, what truly happens when we truly seek God, is that we are been transformed and renewed. We are being elevated and we are being prepared for the work set out for us.

Brothers and sisters do not give up! Do not let the devil lie to you. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek after Him who pursue him (Hebrews 11:6). There is a reward for those who fix their eyes on Jesus and those who remain holy, truthful and pure. There is a reward for those who do not give up. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).

As we seek God wholeheartedly irrespective of the challenges we face, our character is also been changed (Romans 5:3-5).

True believers and followers of Jesus Christ will always go through the process of transformation as long as we are here on earth. This is because our ultimate goal is to be like Jesus. Ephesians 5:1 states that we must “become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father];”. We “must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5 AMP).

Something is happening as we wait. Waiting is a Kingdom principle. Waiting in prayer and thanksgiving is a kingdom language. Waiting in expectation with and in thanksgiving is a heavenly language. Waiting in faith with and in thanksgiving and praise is a Kingdom language. Philippians 4:6 states that we must not “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”.

While we wait

If you want to discover the mysteries of the heavenly language, one that goes deeper than speaking in tongues, then practice waiting in and with thanksgiving when you approach the LORD. Hence, as we wait, we should;

Wait in worship with thanksgiving
Wait in the expectation that one day a great reward is coming for you
Wait with a commitment to Jesus being glorified in your life
Wait with open hands to receive what the Lord has for you.
Wait in love with Thanksgiving

The main key is to wait with your full gaze fixed on Jesus. That is when the discouragement and the many waves of life will not destroy or tear you apart. But the moment you shift your eyes off of Jesus, you will also shift your heart, and you will lose sight of Him. The worst thing that can happen to a Christian is to lose sight of the one who gave it all for us so we can gracefully present ourselves unto the Father.

Shifting our Gaze

How to know if your gaze has been shifted from Jesus is when:

You are no longer thanking God.
- You begin to question why you should even give God thanks because you have been praying all this while, but it seems that He has not answered you
You are praying, fasting, and worshipping but your mind is not there.
- You are just doing it for the sake of doing it. But in reality, your heart is so full of doubt whether what you are doing is even worth it.
You have become very doubtful about everything that is happening in your life.
- You begin to think if God is even real anymore
You have forgotten ‘so quickly” of God’s faithfulness in the past or you count it as ‘not so big’ since it was in the past.

Fixing our eyes on Jesus

When we are going through hard seasons, it might be hard to keep our gaze on Jesus, especially when the problem is in front of us and it’s overwhelming. But as children of God, we must keep our eyes on him so we don’t drown in our sins and drift away into the hands of the enemy. Below are some of the ways we can fix our eyes on Jesus when life becomes heavy.

Thank him
- There is something you can always be thankful and grateful for.

Tip: When the discouragement comes, stop and list out loud 3 things you are grateful to God for. If the discouragement is heavy, continue and list 10 things. You can continue to list out things until you see a smile on your face and you remember how God has been faithful. It may seem silly at first, but by the time you do it a couple of times, it will bring you to tears as to how God has been faithful and kind to you. It will hopefully encourage you to give going that God will come through for you. You can say your list as many times as you need. For example: “I am grateful that I got up this morning or “I am grateful that I can see clearly”

2. Always be in the word of God

For every discouragement we go through in life, there is a verse in the bible to lift us up

3. Make sure your atmosphere is always protected

Be attentive to what you listen to during difficult seasons of your life. For example, rather than playing sad songs that will bring down your mood, you can play worship songs, listen to the bible or play life-giving sermons. Beware of certain secular music that can not advance your spiritual growth. Never let your atmosphere drift you from God.

4. Keep praying

Pray all the time regardless of whether you feel like it or not. We are commanded to pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
If you are so discouraged that you don’t know how to put words together to form a prayer, then speak in tongues (this is our greatest advantage). You can ask the Holy Spirit by saying “I just don’t know what or even how to pray right now because my heart is heavy. But I know the word of God says that you can intercede for me through wordless groanings, I ask you to take over”. Then begin to speak as He leads you and just trust Him (Romans 8:26).
You can also use the bible to pray. The book of Psalms is full of prayers you can pray unto God, especially when you are discouraged, worried and need comfort.

5. Be around other believers

Do not be afraid to share your burdens with trusted believers that you know have your best interest and they care about you. Tell them your burden and ask them to pray for you. we are to share each other’s burdens. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

6. Find a teaching priest you can also engage with just as you engage in the word of God,

These priests are to encourage and empower you and bring light to the word of God. They are to help you find a deeper understanding and deeper meaning of the Word of God.

7. Have a declaration notebook/wall

This can be where you personalise the word of God and you declare the words over your life. For example, you could have: For it is written… “There is surely a future hope for me, and my hope will not be cut off” (Proverbs 23:18).

8. Actively engage in surrendering everything to God

Surrendering is a daily decision we should take part in, to walk fully in the will of God. It is not a once-off thing, it is a daily thing we must do. The quicker we surrender to God, the quicker the flesh dies. Surrendering is the killing of our flesh and holding on to the hand of God no matter what it may look like.
Follow the ways of the LORD and engage in doing and walking in His principles
Obey Him and “do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).

9. Never forget the why, what, how and where.

We should never forget why Jesus died for us. His motivation behind it and how He did it should always be remembered.
Never forget
- Why Jesus did do what he did for you
- What He did
- How he did it
- Where he did it

There are so many reasons for our eyes to always be fixed on Jesus but sometimes our eyes can get very clouded, and we shift our focus from him to our problems. In every season we should always be 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).

Jesus offered himself to us so that we could have eternal life, and his greatest motivation was love. Therefore, our motivation to fix our eyes on Him should be love and the knowledge and deep revelation of what He did for us on the cross.

Prayer

LORD Jesus, I am sorry for shifting my eyes from you when I face difficult challenges. You are always the answer. You are always my answer and every solution I need is in you.
LORD, help me to remain focused on you no matter what I go through.
LORD, teach me how to trust you even in the storm.
LORD, help me never to forget what you did for me so that I can now enjoy the presence of our King. In Jesus Name, Amen.