Where is our focus?

A little more on what I wrote about yesterday--this following hard after our Savior--as I find it to be one of the greatest of challenges in our frenetic world saturated with diversions and pleasures. Yet it also provides the richest of rewards, for the closer we follow Him, the more intimately we know Him, the more deeply we love Him, the more gratefully we worship Him, and the more joyfully we serve Him.

But, boy, it is just so easy to get off track and start running down all manner of "rabbit trails" rather than following THE trail, The Way. The Way may be narrower and harder, but it is The Way of abundant, joyful, peaceful, contented, eternal Life--with a capital "L!" Why do we so often settle for all those pale, unsatisfying, ultimately destructive substitutes rather than the real thing, the Real Way?

Well, again, I think it goes back to truly seeing, truly gazing upon the Savior daily so that we increasingly come to know and love Him, and, therefore, long to obey and serve Him. It just can't be a matter of gritting my teeth, and determinedly declaring, "I WILL obey. I WILL be more loving and unselfish. I WILL stop wasting time or money or effort on that which is worldly and shallow and self-seeking." You know why? Because no matter how hard I try, I always seem to default back to selfish, prideful, petty, ungrateful me. 'Cause wherever I turn, there I am, for Pete's sake! It's the old sin nature that rears it's hideous head... and it horrifies me every time when I see how truly sinful I am.

And then I see how glorious my Savior truly is. And how amazing grace truly is. And how it is not 80% Him and 20% me. It is not even 99% Him and 1% me. It is simply 100% Him and Him alone. His blood. His love. His mercy. His grace. His forgiveness. His salvation. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast." (Eph. 2:8-9) The good news, it is 0% us, and, well, yahoo, I can do 0%! But my job is to be fixing upon and following hard after the One who is 100%.

So in order to follow hard, and ultimately to obey and serve and love in the ways in which He has called us, we need to know Him and love Him better and more intimately. William Gurnell wrote that "He who has only a nodding acquaintance with the king may easily be persuaded to change his allegiance, or will at least try to remain neutral in the face of reason. Some professing Christians have only a passing acquaintance with the Gospel. They can hardly give an account of what they hope for, or whom they hope in. And if they have some principles they take kindly to, they are so unsettled that every wind blows them away, like loose tiles from a housetop." He goes on to declare that "Head knowledge of the things of Christ is not enough; this following Christ is primarily a matter of the heart. If your heart is not fixed in its purpose, your principles, as good as they may be, will hang loose and be of no more use in the heat of battle than an ill-strung bow. Half-hearted resolve will not venture much nor far for Christ."

How well do we know the King? Is He an acquaintance or the dearest and choicest Friend? I have a lot of acquaintances that I see and wave to and shoot "hey!" but in order to sustain and strengthen my dearest of friendships requires sacrifice, time, dedication, and communication. Upon what are we spending most of our time, our money, our efforts, our thoughts? That will determine our focus and our ultimate direction.

What is keeping you, keeping me, from being whole-heartedly devoted to Christ? Upon what is your heart fixed? The location of our focus will determine the destination of our actions. If my heart is fixed upon Christ, I cannot help but be transformed increasingly into His likeness as I walk with Him and head down His Way. But if my heart is fractured into a million busy, worldly pieces, sometimes glancing at Christ but more often than not busily gazing at activities and things and success and accomplishments, then I'll inevitably lose my way... and His Way. As a result, I'll forfeit all the joy and peace and strength and love and grace He has for me in and on His Way, The Way.

O Lord, keep us fixed upon You, following hard and close, no matter how long and tough the battle. Help us to see You. Give us a fresh vision of Your glory. Keep us in Your Word and reveal Yourself to us, we humbly ask. Keep our hearts fixed and focused and faithful to You and You alone. And to You, our One and Only Savior, our beautiful, gracious, worthy Redeemer, be the glory.