“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
Hebrews 12:1-2a
Dear Brothers and Sister in Christ,
Have you ever struggled with eye problems? When a person has eye issues nothing is quite as clear as it should be. When you slowly lose your eye sight it isn’t as noticeable in the beginning and all of a sudden you recognize there is a real lack of clarity.
I was in third grade when Mrs. Peters recognized I had an eye problem. I told her I couldn’t see the black board because there was a glare on the board. She pulled down the shades on the windows. Funny, I still couldn’t read the blackboard. Being the good teacher she was, she moved me to the front of the room. Again, I still couldn’t read the blackboard. So, she finally called my mom and said, “I think Barbie is having trouble with her eyes.” Off to the eye Doctor and he couldn’t believe how bad my eyes were.
I found ways to get around my inability to see or FOCUS. If I squinted I could see a little more clearly. If I sat close the TV I could see. When they had us read the Eye Chart in school I memorized what everyone said in front of me (I made it into a game.). I really believed everyone was just like me. I didn’t even know I was faking part of my ability to see by not putting myself in tough situations. I was missing out on so much because I couldn’t see, however I didn’t know it! When my glasses arrived I was overwhelmed with the beauty all around me. I COULD SEE CLEARLY! All of a sudden the clarity took over! The blackboard no longer had a glare on it! I could sit away from the TV and see EVERYTHING.
My world was in FOCUS and life was much better and easier than it had been for a long time. Gradual loss of anything is not easily detected, whether eye sight, muscle strength, relationships or our faith. Just as we all slip in our eye sight as we age, we can find ourselves slipping in our spiritual sight and faith if we aren’t careful. We lose FOCUS and when we lose FOCUS we lose direction. We have glasses for our eyes that periodically need to be upgraded. Our spiritual eyes are no different. We lose FOCUS when the world creeps in! We lose FOCUS we don’t participate in worship, communion, Bible Study and fellowship! We lose FOCUS when we slowly move away from our Christian community!
It is our hope that you will take the opportunity to continue to stay FOCUSED or to get REFOCUSED again on Christ! In Hebrews 12 we are told to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” As we FIX our eyes on Jesus we will have more FOCUS in our everyday life. He is the One we imitate…He is the One we watch…He is the One we connect to! Do NOT let the world tell you the church community is unimportant on your journey, that would be like me without my glasses…you will never see clearly.
Join us for our four week sermon series beginning July 4th is titled, FOCUS!
1) FOCUS on the GOOD;
2) FOCUS on CHRIST;
3) FOCUS on your FUTURE; and
4) FOCUS on the MISSION.
In Christ,
Pastor Barb
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