Keeping Our Focus on Jesus

By Sylvia Butler

Storms, suffering, trials, and everyday distractions pull at us from every direction. Sylvia Butler recently shared how keeping our focus on Jesus fills our minds with “Jesus truths.” Below is an adaptation of her beautiful message.

“Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2, NKJV)

As a young child, I was in and out of the hospital.

Mom directed my focus on her and not on my circumstances or procedures that I endured. Focusing on her gave me comfort, love, and peace during uncomfortable situations.

Have you asked yourself what you are focusing on when life happens?

When you’re going through it?

Instead of focusing on my circumstances, I’ve found three ways to fill my mind with some “Jesus truths.” I found them in Hebrews 12.

The writer of Hebrews is addressing believers. He’s encouraging them in their walk with Christ.

They decided to follow Jesus and found themselves being persecuted, going through various trials – suffering. It had them rethinking if following Jesus was really worth it.

Haven’t we all been there at some point in our walk?

Today, believers are giving up and turning away. They are done with the church and following Jesus.

The book of Hebrews was written to encourage believers to keep pressing forward.

Don’t give up.

You might say – “OK, how are we going to do that?”

Focused “Jesus Truths”

1. Jesus—The Perfector of Our Faith.

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, the game is on. The race begins. It’s a beautiful journey of building our faith by keeping our focus on Jesus.

Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He started everything, and He will see us through it all. Jesus will be with us until we reach the finish line.

Philippians 1:6 tells us “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (ESV)

Our faith journey is compared to a race. Now, I’ve never run a race, but I know that this race we are in is not a sprint. This race is a marathon.

Jesus’ race was 33 years. For us, only God knows. While we are running, we will face the peaks and valleys in life.

In Hebrews 12:1, the author tells us to “lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely” to us.

This can be unaddressed sin. It can be the thoughts or worries that go on in our minds. Worries that we haven’t let go. Things from our past, work, family, finances or money, or unforgiveness.

As we’re running this race, the weight of all that we won’t let go of clings to us. Even conditioned runners would want to quit under this weight.

Even in these times of struggle, Jesus is with us. Thank you, Jesus!

Our struggles are stretching and building our faith.

person kneading dough — Photo by Patricio Nahuelhual on Pexels.com

A couple of birthdays ago, I was gifted a sourdough bread kit. One of the many processes of making this bread is called the stretch and fold technique.

You grab one side of the dough, stretch it, and fold it over. You repeat this process every half hour, four to six times (depending on the recipe).

As you do this, and time passes, the loaf grows to perfection.

Aren’t we all just like a loaf of sourdough in this life? Being stretched, folded, and growing in our faith as Jesus walks and runs with us.

So, if we are like that loaf of bread, we must ask ourselves, “How can we develop and grow in our relationship with Jesus?”

Five Tactics to Grow in Our Relationship with Jesus

Spend Time With Jesus. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NKJV)
Spend Time In Prayer. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” (Mark 1:35 NKJV)
Spend Time In The Word. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV)
Spend Time In Worship. “O come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” (Psalm 95:6 NKJV)
Spend Time In Praise. “O Lord, you are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” (Isaiah 25:1 NKJV)

This is how we grow in our faith … knowing Jesus … keeping our focus on Jesus.

The heart cannot love what the mind does not know.

2. Jesus’ Perfect Love

“For the joy that was set before Him endured the cross despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2b)

Jesus was fully aware of what would be required of Him. The Father’s perfect plan – SET (laid out), that Jesus would be the sacrifice for you and me.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV)

Willingly, obediently going to the cross. Experiencing the shame, humiliation, and the pain of being despised, rejected, mocked, scourged … nailed to the cross.

And, through it all Jesus:

Said nothing
Stayed the course
Kept His joy
Continued in His love

Not only for those who followed and believed, but for the very ones who crucified Him. Wow!

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1John 4:10 NKJV)

Have you ever wondered how Jesus could have endured so much?

Jesus endured because He knew the good that would come of it: our redemption.

Redeemed and praising God for eternity.

That was His joy, saying to you and me, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Jesus looked past the horror of the cross and saw the joy beyond it.

As horrible as the cross was, let’s talk about the shame. Jesus despised the shame, mockery, and ridicule.

Let us not forget that He experienced every human emotion.

“This is a stumbling block to many. They will do just about anything for Jesus except endure shame or embarrassment.” (David Guzik)

Isn’t it easy to glorify Christ in our safe space, among our brothers and sisters? But how are we when we are at work, the grocery store, maybe even around friends and family who don’t believe?

Following Jesus comes at a price. Charles Spurgeon spoke boldly to Christians who could not bear the shame that comes from the world that judges us for being followers of Jesus.

“You are a coward. If anybody called you so you would turn red in the face; and perhaps you are not a coward in reference to any other subject. What a shameful thing it is that while you are bold about everything else you are cowardly about Jesus Christ. Brave for the world and cowardly towards Christ!” (Charles Spurgeon)

I have to admit that at times, I fall short of being bold for Jesus. According to Spurgeon, a coward.

But, confessing, praying, asking for boldness, qe know that when we ask according to His will, He hears us.

May we see the JOY in the struggles that we face and glorify Jesus. Keeping our focus on Jesus helps us meditate on “Jesus truths.”

3. Jesus Glorified

“Sat down at the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 12:2d NKJV)

This shows us Jesus’ deity and authority. Jesus completed what He set out to do.

When we remind ourselves of these truths and believe, we can have hope in this life. We must remember this is not our forever home; we are passing through.

“Who is He who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34 NKJV)

Jesus – with the Father, interceding for us.

When we are struggling, and Jesus is constantly praying on our behalf. What a beautiful thing!

As we look to Jesus as our ultimate example, we, too, can do this for one another.

We can pray Scripture over one another. The church, you and me, can pray in the power of Jesus’ name.

Let’s pray for others regularly. Let’s not only focus on our needs. This is loving like Jesus.

I have to admit that I have missed the mark on doing this. If someone asks for prayer, I, of course, say, “ I will be praying for you.”

And I will. But, there have been times when I forgot. Let’s try and make a practice of praying for our brother/sister right in the moment. I know it will not always be as we would like it, but let’s focus on allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. This is how we do life together.

The reality is that we will struggle as life and spiritual attacks happen. Let us not give up but go to the One who conquered the grave.

I think we should never feel comfortable here…this is not our forever home. THANK YOU, JESUS!!!

We should long for what’s to come. May we cover our minds with truth when we battle.