Hebrews 12:2, AMP
“Looking away from all that will distract us and, focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].”
Jesus is our example and should occupy our focus. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. If we aren’t focused on Jesus, our faith will never be complete.
To illustrate, the Bible in Hebrews 12:1-4, shows us the example of running a race. How Jesus ran and won His race here on earth, through the way He approached His earthly mission. These verses highlight His victory through focus on “the joy that was set before him.” This focus enabled Him to endure both physical suffering—bearing the sickness and disease of the world—and spiritual anguish, as He took on the sins of humanity (2 Corinthians 5:21). Rather than dwelling on suffering, Jesus maintained His attention on the ultimate victory.
His perfect example is for us to follow. Fixing our eyes on the good and not the bad. We can see that during His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before being arrested, which would lead to going to the Cross. He revealed His anguish to His Father and asked to accomplish His will in another way. But when He understood that there was no other way, He put the suffering behind Him and focused on the joy that would come to you and me.
It is important to recognize one’s ability to manage attention and focus. This concept is exemplified in Genesis 4:5-7, where God warned Cain about his anger. Despite receiving guidance, Cain did not control his emotions, which led to the tragic act of killing his brother. Cain’s attention was focused on evil. Instead of adhering to God’s instruction, Cain was influenced by the underlying causes of his emotions. In contrast to Jesus’s steadfastness, Cain permitted his feelings to distract him and lose sight of what was good.
Whatever we focus our attention on becomes priority driven and more dominant in our lives. Whatever we fail to focus our attention on begins to shrink in importance and influence. We may still retain the knowledge, but the impact of that knowledge diminishes the less we focus on it.
The objects of our attention become more prominent in our lives, while neglect diminishes their impact. Therefore, we are the ones who place value or lack of value on everything that happens to us. That’s why people who go through the exact same things will have different reactions. Some become trapped in the past of the circumstances, while others move on.
Jesus is a powerful example of mature faith, having endured extraordinary challenges. His life shows that this depth of faith can be reached by every believer.
Moses & Marguerite Wafula