October 2, 2023: FOCUS!

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” (Matthew 14:30, ESV)

It is customary to put blinders on racehorses before the race. The blinders block out distractions or frightening things the horse may see. The blinders keep the horse looking straight ahead. They keep the horse from being afraid. They help the horse focus on running the race.

We, too, are to focus on running the race before us. Life is full of things that make us fearful or cause us to become distracted. Like the racehorse, we need to put on spiritual blinders that keep us from looking at the scary stuff in life and focus on running the race. It can be easy to lose sight of our Christian beliefs when we go through adversity.

For example, in faith, Peter got out of the boat to walk on the water toward Jesus. His eyes were fixed on Jesus! But something happened while he was walking on the water. He took his eyes off Jesus for a moment, saw the wind and the waves, became afraid, and started to sink. Peter could walk on the water by faith as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. We are called to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Fix your eyes on Jesus, step out of the boat, and start walking. You will make history and leave a legacy of faith!