Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus

And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. (Heb. 12: 1b-2 NLT)

What was I thinking?

I don’t know why I agreed to cross the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.  Oh, I’m okay with heights; I don’t mind flying in a plane or looking out the window of a high-rise building as long as I’m enclosed. But a flimsy-looking bridge suspended 98 feet above a rocky coast? How could that possibly be fun?

However, when my husband and I vacationed in Ireland, we had an opportunity for an adventure: crossing a 66-foot-long rope bridge from the mainland of the Antrim coast to the tiny Carrick-a-Rede Island. Just the memory of that crossing causes my heart to race and my stomach to somersault.

But I was determined to go across. Travelers had to cross single file a few yards apart, so with the wind whipping through my hair, I waited in line. When my turn came, my sweaty hands clutched the rope railing. One jittery step after another, I crept across the narrow planks that lay atop the web of rope. I made it to the island, but I could hardly enjoy the views because I knew I had to walk back across the bridge to return to the mainland.

When it came time to return, I followed a few yards behind my husband across the swaying bridge.

“Stop and let me take your picture,” my husband said.

But I knew if I stopped, I’d be paralyzed. And if I looked down, I’d panic. The only way to get across was to look straight ahead and keep moving.

In a lot of ways, navigating the events of the last few years has felt like crossing that rope bridge. Pandemics. Wars. Violence. Natural disasters. The whole world has become a scary landscape that we nervously navigate.  Even though the sun may be shining, and our immediate surroundings might be safe and peaceful, our news feed reminds us that we’re only one misstep away from tragedy. Like a strong gust of wind, disaster can suddenly jolt us from our place of safety. The social structures we rely on can fail. Evildoers can knock us over, and in an instant, life is finished.

If we obsessively scroll through our news app or compulsively watch one news program after another, we could find ourselves paralyzed by fear.

Instead, we can find courage to persist by keeping our eyes on Jesus and moving forward.

Jesus is our example. When Jesus approached the cross, he was fully aware of the agony awaiting him. Every cell of his human body must have been on alert, its fight-or-flight hormones urging him to escape the cross. But he knew for certain he’d see joy beyond the cross. So to endure the pain and shame, he focused on the glory to come.

He crossed the finish line, showing us how it’s done, presenting a picture of perfect faith.

Not only is Jesus our example, he’s also our source of strength. On our own, we can’t muster enough faith to live through all terrors and trials before us. But there is Jesus, arms open wide, encouraging us, cheering us on, directing our every step. And beyond that, he’s given us his Holy Spirit to empower us to complete the course.

Matthew Henry writes, “So we keep our eyes on him. Look unto him; that is, we must set him continually before us as our example, and our great encouragement; we must look to him for direction, for assistance, and for acceptance, in all our sufferings.”

So we keep moving forward.

We fulfill our daily responsibilities. We take care of ourselves, our families, and our neighbors. We do our jobs. We follow the directions God’s given us. As we finish each assignment he gives us, we listen as he gives instructions for the next step.

Hopefully we don’t live with our eyes constantly looking down at our news feed, where every scary scenario and every grim detail fuels our fears.

But we’re not oblivious, either. When I crossed the bridge, I was aware of my surroundings. I was prepared: I wore the appropriate shoes, and I held on to the rope railing (wobbly though it was). I was also considerate of fellow travelers. I did what I could to make sure their crossing was safe, too. But I didn’t look down at the danger.

I took one step at a time, looking ahead to the joy awaiting me: solid ground with rolling green pastures where sheep and cattle grazed. Where I was no longer in danger of falling.

Are you anxious about what’s happening in the world?

Are you fearful about the future?

Are you going through something scary or painful or difficult?

Be aware. Be prepared. But don’t despair.

Don’t give up, and don’t panic. Your troubles won’t last forever.

If the news makes you anxious, limit the amount of information you take in. Set aside a single, brief time of day to check for information. Pray about local and world events. Ask God what action you might need to take.

Then trust.

Fix your eyes on the joy waiting for you when your trek is over.

Focus on Jesus and keep moving forward.

Margaret Kemp spends most days teaching a classroom full of lively five-and six-year-olds. She’s attracted to be fragrance of vanilla, the printed word, and all things blue and white. She delights in spending time with her husband and family, singing praises with her church choir peeps, and traveling. Her heart’s desire is to know God better and learn to trust him more. You can read more of her writing at MargaretKemp.com.

Photograph © Mark Autumns, used with permission