“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” —Hebrews 12:1-2

Brandin Cooks can be found regularly sitting at his locker with his Bible open or kneeling in prayer. A spiritual leader for the Los Angeles Rams, Cooks didn’t grow up in a Christian home. He became a follower of Christ as a college student at Oregon State. His father died of a heart attack when Cooks was six, so he is no stranger to tragedy or hardship.

The wide receiver is hoping that the Super Bowl affords him an opportunity for redemption after he exited last year’s big game prematurely due to an injury. The difference being, last year Cooks played for the New England Patriots before an offseason trade sent him to the Rams. He is grateful for another chance to play on football’s biggest stage.

One of Cook’s mottos is: “Let us turn our eyes to Jesus so that the desire of this world may grow dim.”

In Hebrews 12, the Christian life is compared to a race—one that is won by looking to Christ, who is “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.”

The words in this chapter were penned to encourage believers who were facing great persecution all around them. They were urged to keep their eyes on the perfect example of Jesus, who suffered and died, but was raised to life again in glorious and triumphant fashion.

In the ancient Greek, “looking to Jesus” uses a verb that implies a certain looking away from other things and a fixed focus on another. I have tried to look at two things at the same time and I have found it to be impossible. Sure, I can have multiple things in the peripheral of my vision at the same time, but there can only be one thing upon which my eyes are fixed—or focused. My eyes can’t be fixed on worry and worship at the same time. They can’t be focused on greed and generosity at the same time. They can’t be captivated with sin and holiness at the same time.

As Charles Spurgeon observed, “The Greek word for ‘looking’ is a much fuller word than we can find in the English language. It has a preposition in it which turns the look away from everything else. You are to look from all beside to Jesus. Fix not thy gaze upon the cloud of witnesses; they will hinder thee if they take away thine eye from Jesus. Look not on the weights and the besetting sin-these thou hast laid aside; look away from them. Do not even look upon the race-course, or the competitors, but look to Jesus and so start in the race.”

So many things in this moment are competing for our gaze—acceptance and approval, infinitely scrolling timelines on social media, worldly temptations, expectations of others, our endless problems, those financial burdens, today’s homework, tomorrow’s deadlines. Of course we all have practical responsibilities to which we would be foolish to turn a blind eye, it’s just that our eyes are not to be “fixated” on these things of the world. There is a difference between giving something healthy attention versus being engrossed or absorbed with something.

God also wants our gaze. He knows how easily distracted we are by the things of this world and that’s why Hebrews gives us this portrait of an athlete running a race. The athlete doesn’t exist without discipline. He or she has to repeatedly come back to those fundamentals and exercises to run their race with clarity of purpose and perseverance. And herein the author of Hebrews exhorts us: “do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves” (vv. 5-6).

His plan is for you to run well and finish strong. You do that by keeping your eyes fixed on Him with discipline and focus. Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
(Helen H. Lemmel, 1922)

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we get so easily distracted from what is eternally important in life. Thank you for your discipline, which always has our good in mind and brings us back to what really matters. Teach us how to keep our eyes fixed on you while going about our daily responsibilities. Help us to run our race with perserverance, by looking unto Jesus as the perfecter of our faith. In his name, Amen.

Questions for Reflection and/or Family Discussion:

1. How were you disciplined as a child? What do you think was good or bad about the way you were disciplined?
2. What should motivate followers of Christ to live for Him? (Hebrews 12:1)
3. What do we learn about God from the fact that He disciplines us? (12:6-7)
4. When have you sensed that God was disciplining you?
5. Where might you need to shift your focus from the things of this world to the person of Christ this week?

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