BIBLE BIT

Series:  A Marathon not a Sprint
 

In this 8 week series we are considering what will help us to persevere in the race of life and to last the course:
Week 1 – ‘A Stable Core’ – Jesus, the firm foundation!
Week 2 – ‘Tripping Up’ – No holding back!

This week – ‘Tunnel Vision’

And now we come to v2 of Hebrews 12: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith”

I wonder if you ever watched Linford Christie run the 100m. He mastered the technique of running with ‘tunnel vision’. Here’s what he said after the 1992 Olympics: “I had read an article on Carl Lewis in which he had said he didn't go on to the track to race other athletes. He went out to run the best he possibly could. Barcelona was the first time I went to the blocks imagining my lane was a tunnel, with everything else on either side a blur.”

The person with their eyes fixed is one who is aware of the distractions around but deliberately looks to focus away from them. Linford Christie was completely focused on running his race, making every deliberate effort not to look at the chasing pack. When he stood on that start-line, even if 100,000 spectators were waiting to see the outcome, he would control his mind on solely the lane ahead of him - and nothing else.

We must run the race of life with ‘tunnel vision’ – looking only to Jesus, not just at the beginning of the race but at every part. Like Carl Lewis we are not trying to race other athletes, just to run the best we possibly can.

We read in Matthew chapter 14 of an incident in which the disciples are in a boat on Lake Galilee and Jesus walks on the water towards them. As he reaches the disciples Jesus calls Peter to come and join him and Peter gets out of the boat and starts walking towards Jesus. However there comes a moment in the story when Peter sees the wind, becomes afraid, and starts to sink. The moment Peter takes his eyes off the one who has called him and focuses instead on the things around him (i.e the wind and the waves in this story) he begins to drown.

What a lesson for us to learn friends. The Lord Jesus has called us to follow him and as long as we keep our eyes firmly fixed on him we will endure all that comes our way. However, if we become distracted by our circumstances, and the things going on around us, we will start to sink and feel like we are drowning under the pressures of life.

How then can we fix our eyes on Jesus?

What will help keep us from being distracted?

These are the questions we will consider over the next 3 weeks.