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A Time to Focus

My Father was an ophthalmologist. When he examined my eyes, he would put a big machine in front of my face and flip back and forth between various combinations of lenses – “Tell me which is better… this? Or this?” Flip… click… flip… click.  Finally, we would come to an agreement on the best lenses for my glasses.

I’ve done some “flipping and clicking” in the past few days. With the disappointing news of the Appellate Court ruling against us, there have been many things to consider and many challenges and responsibilities emerging in rapid-fire succession. It was time to regain my focus. Flip… click… flip… click.

The author of Hebrews writes to a beleaguered group of Christians. He reminds his readers of the supremacy of Christ and the solemn commitment we have to follow Him in all aspects of life. He encourages them to “hold fast our confession” (4:14), and to “draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (4:16). He is fully aware that such Christians have “joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one” (10:34). He defines faith: “… the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (11:1). He lists a number of faithful men and women as examples of encouragement, and then encourages his readers with these words: “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, 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” (12:1,2).

Spending time with God through the epistle to the Hebrews brought me back in focus. I am committed to keeping three things in front of me and in front of us all.

First, we look to Jesus. He is the center of our life together, as He is the center of the universe. Any decision by a court, any hurtful word or action or any temptation to respond in kind, is to be but a glancing episode. Jesus remains in the center. It is His glory, His truth, and His Kingdom for which we stand.

Second, we look to each other: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24,25). We are called to care for one another, to “stir up” one another, to encourage one another, to be together with each other. God did not create us to go through the turmoil of life on our own. He has given us friends in Christ to stand alongside us, and us with them, in the challenges of life. Here is a glorious opportunity to do just that, and to discover how God delights in His children loving one another.

Third, we look to our mission. The call to proclaim the Gospel and to love God and others has not diminished one bit. Our circumstances only make the focus sharper, the background more stark, the vision that much clearer. Our circumstances are only the backdrop to the stage. God continues to call us forth to be major players in His story of redeeming love. Right now, the backdrop is dark, but that only makes us and our message stand out in greater contrast. Let’s take advantage of it by being faithful witnesses to Jesus Christ. Who knows if we will ever have such an incredible opportunity again?

Flip… click, flip… click, flip… click. Wherever you may be in your life, I pray you will find God’s focus. It will look different for different people, but I am confident it begins for all of us with Christ and His Word. – Marc Robertson

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