Sitting quietly in my front room one morning, before the rest of my family began to stir for the day, I reflected on just how stuck and frustrated I felt. Several things in life weren’t going the way I wanted them to. I was worried, angry, tired – I couldn’t even see how I could push through that day – much less whatever was going to be required of me to push through these less than desirable circumstances. It’s a place we have all been.
I knew I needed faith. I knew I had promises to stand on. I knew I just needed to keep moving forward. And yet, the mountains in front of me seemed insurmountable.
Then I heard it, the voice of my savior. Still and quiet, but undeniable.
“Look at me.”
Right then I knew – I had my focus in the wrong place.
To have faith in action, it does at times require action, but all the time, faith in action comes from a clear focus. A right focus. Faith in action requires us to have our eyes on Jesus.
Hebrews 12:1-2 states “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before Him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The author of Hebrews is calling for action. This chapter comes right after what I have heard called “The Faith Chapter,” or “The Hall of Faith,” in Hebrews 11. So now, after reminding us of the great cloud of witnesses that surround us, the author calls us to action. He calls us to do two things – Lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and to run with endurance the race that lies before us.
Chapter 11 calls us to faith, and now in 12, we are called to action – but the instruction doesn’t end there.
In the beginning of verse 2, the author tells us exactly how to run this race of endurance – by keeping our eyes on Jesus.
Faith in action requires us to have our eyes on Jesus. Jesus is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Other translations call Him the author, or the founder of our faith. Not only did Jesus pioneer or author our faith – He is the perfecter of it. Perfection takes time, work, repetition. And how is He going to perfect our faith? By reminding us to keep our eyes on Him.
I love where the author of Hebrews goes next. Because the passage doesn’t jump to the victory, or the joy. Instead, there is more remembrance.
Remembrance that our High Priest and King is no stranger to hardship and endurance Himself.
Hebrews 12:2 continues, “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.”
For Christ to endure the cross – to complete the action He was sent here to complete – He had the proper focus. For Him, it was the joy of restoration and relationship with us. For us, our focus must be on Him.
As I sat in my front room that morning, I shifted my focus. I remembered all the times I had seen the Lord fight for me before. All the times I had seen His promises come to pass. All the ways in which He has loved and provided for me – over and over again. And as I did, the mountain shrank. And then I praised Him for who He is – Father, protector, defender, savior – and the mountain shrank. And I thanked Him – for how he would provide again. For how He would fulfill these promises too – and the mountain shrank.
Faith welled up in me, and my fear, my frustration, my exhaustion – fell away. I knew I had what I needed to take my next steps. It was all clear – because I had a clear, right, focus. Because my focus was on Him.
Faith in action comes from a clear focus – a right focus – our eyes on Jesus.
We want to thank Brooke Kellum for sharing this post.
Women's Ministry 