Turn your Eyes...
If our thoughts had EYES,
Where would they be looking?
Would they be looking at Jesus or elsewhere?
Do the EYES of our thoughts turn down and look at this world?
Our our EYES on...
The never ending list of "to dos",
The fire in front of us,
The storm behind us,
The earthquake underneath us,
The clouds above us?
The direction that we TURN OUR EYES makes all the difference in the world.
I can only imagine when Peter was called out by Jesus and walked on water.
It must have been an incredible high.
What would it have felt like?
Both awe and wonder at the same time?
Sheer excitement?
If he had a cell phone would he have taken a selfie? ^_^
When is the last time you had a moment of sheer awe and wonder at something that just happened?
Isn't great to just linger there for a while?
How is it that Peter didn't have that same lingering effect when walking on water?
Shouldn't he have been so thrilled and amazed and in a daze for the next few hours or days?
How is it that he snapped out of that so quickly and into fear?
"Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water... But when he SAW the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink..."
What happened is...
He took his EYES off of Jesus,
And he focused on the wind and the storm,
He focused on life happening all around him,
And it immediately struck fear in him,
And he began to sink.
That's like all of us in a nutshell.
If we take our eyes off of Jesus,
Instead of focusing on His love, provisions and strength,
If we focus on our worries, "what ifs", and burdens,
Then we will also sink like Peter did.
We can just as quickly go from deliriously happy basking in God's glory,
To anxious, fearful and sinking like quicksand in our own fears.
It's all about keeping our EYES on Jesus.
"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."
In this world we are constantly looking for ways to feel more peaceful,
Whether it's getting away from the stress of work,
Whether it's taking a break from noise from family or kids,
Whether it's lifting the burden of our own dreams and goals,
We do all sorts of things to relieve the pressures of life,
To come out from under it even for a brief moment.
Some of us do exercise or sports,
Some hang with friends and socialize,
Some love that glass of wine or a cold beer,
Some like to eat and enjoy the flavors of life.
As much as we take part in the worldly solutions,
How often do we intentionally TURN OUR EYES upon Jesus?
For that is a solution unto itself.
How often do we PAUSE from the day,
Step into a quiet place,
Whether it be a closet or the car,
And close our physical eyes,
And turn the EYES of our HEART toward Jesus?
Do we seek His presence to take the edge off?
Do we give praise to relieve the pressure?
Do we thank the Lord to step into gratitude?
Do we bow down and get on our knees to humble our fear and worries before Him?
How can we do it more intentionally?
Whether it's the beginning of our day to get our daily bread,
Whether it's in the middle to fill our cup with the promises of Jesus,
Whether it's at night to get some peace before bed,
How can we really get intentional and TURN OUR EYES to Jesus a little more today?
Because here's the thing...
When your EYES are on Jesus,
The worries of this world do fade away.
TURNING YOUR EYES to Jesus is...
Better than a glass of wine,
Better than a gourmet meal,
Better than winning a championship game,
Better than medicine,
It is a peace, calmness and serenity that can only come from Jesus.
"And the PEACE of God, which SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
So how does this work in real life?
How to TURN YOUR EYES upon Jesus
Step 1) Go to a quiet place.
Step 2) Close your eyes an breathe deeply and slowly 3 times to calm your body down.
Step 3) TURN the EYES of your HEART to the Lord by saying "Jesus, I am here. I need You. I want You. I trust You. I seek You."
Step 4) Keep talking and listening to Jesus by doing this: Ask Holy Spirit "What do You have to say, Lord? Speak, Your servant is listening...". Wait in silence up to 2-3 minutes until a thought comes to mind. It may be as simple as "I love you. I got you." It can be "Trust Me. Be in love.". It can be something even more specific to your situation. Who knows?! That's the best part. Let God tell you what He wants to tell You.
So when business is changing,
The market is shifting,
Uncertainty is rising,
Instead of getting wound up in fear,
Take a GOD BREAK and,
TURN YOUR EYES upon Jesus.
When a deal is falling apart,
You're getting hit from all sides,
You feel like you're doing everyone's job,
Instead of getting frustrated and overwhelmed,
Take a GOD BREAK and,
TURN YOUR EYES upon Jesus.
When you're not feeling well,
Your body is tired or exhausted,
But there's still a million things to do,
Instead of driving yourself into the ground,
Take a GOD BREAK and,
TURN YOUR EYES upon Jesus.
When our problems become too heavy,
When it's overshadowing our day,
We have let our problems get bigger than God,
And it has become our God and an idol.
Oh my!
Solution is simple.
Dethrone the false idol by TURNING YOUR EYES upon Jesus.
Put Jesus back on the throne,
Remember He the boss,
He is in charge,
He is bigger than your problems,
And all the junk happening is no surprise to Him.
"TURN MY EYES from worthless things, and give me life through your word."
You're in a spiritual battle.
The enemy is near.
"Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
Whenever Satan is nipping at your heals,
Donkey kick him in the head by,
Taking a GOD BREAK and,
TURNING YOUR EYES upon Jesus.
It's simple yet powerful,
There's nothing else like it,
To tap into the life-giving force of Jesus,
In the beginning of the day,
The middle of the day,
The end of the day,
THROUGHOUT the day.
God's got you!
Trust Him.
One day at a time.
One break at a time.
One breathe at a time.
TURN YOUR EYES upon Jesus.
"Dear Heavenly Father,
Show me how to TURN MY EYES to Jesus,
How to do it more each day,
Throughout the day,
So the cares of this world can fade away.
Let our presence shine brightly in my heart,
And the worries of the world be dim,
Take the throne of my heart,
Remove the idols in my mind,
Jesus take the wheel,
I trust You,
I praise You,
Even if I don't feel it,
I declare it,
In Jesus name, Amen."
Cheers to TURNING YOUR EYES to Jesus!
Have an amazing day.
