I want you to do an experiment with me…Are you ready? Follow these steps:

1) Take your hand a make a fist. 

2) Put your thumb up like you’re giving a “thumbs up” to someone with your thumbnail facing you. 

3) Focus on your thumbnail only. Notice that everything else became blurry the moment you started to focus on your nail. 

4) Now reverse the effect. Focus on an object behind your thumbnail in the room. Notice your thumbnail was the blurry object now. 

What you focus on comes most clearly into view. The great part is that it’s your choice: you get to decide whether you will focus on the good or the bad. I am reminded of Helen H. Lemmel’s old hymn:

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.

Your energy flows where your focus goes. This always happens to me when I am driving. If I look to the left, I start drifting left. If I look to the right, I start drifting right. If I don’t stay focused and in my lane, I will inevitably end up wherever I am looking. It is the same spiritually. I must keep my eyes focused on God in order to live in the lane of His plan and not get distracted by what the world has to offer. When I veer out of His will, my life crashes. 

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

1 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, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Proverbs 4:25-27 (NIV)

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Notice these verses tell us to fix our eyes. The Greek word for fix is aphoraó meaning to turn our gaze away from everything else and place it on a singular object. We are instructed to turn our attention away from everything except Jesus. This means that we allow nothing to sidetrack us as we move toward Him. We have to keep our focus, not allowing distractions to draw us in and derail our purpose. 

A perfect example can be found in Homer’s classic The Odyssey. In this tale, island creatures called Sirens lured sailors with their music and enchantment. While fixated on the Sirens, sailors would carelessly wreck their ships on the rocky coast, bringing about their destruction.

We must keep our eyes on the prize and press on in our mission, or we will become like these sailors who lost sight of their mission. Get focused and get going in what God has called you to do!