Fixed Gaze

Acts 3:¹⁹ “So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life] … so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]”

The Message Translation puts it this way, “Now it’s time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you”. Paul says to defeat discouragement, we need to be deliberate about taking time for renewal. You need to know what renews you. Spiritual renewal comes by spending time with God daily. We get renewed emotionally through conversations, reading books, listening to podcasts and so on. Physical renewal goes beyond eating, to eating the right things and exercising properly. I have also learnt from Rick Warren to deflect daily, withdraw weekly, and abandon annually.

In addition to renewing yourself, Paul’s seventh secret to defeating discouragement is to Stay Focused On Eternity. You and I need to stay focused on eternity. 2 Corinthians 4:^17-18 “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” Trials and tiredness have a way of causing us to lose our perspective. Most times, the easiest perspective to lose is the perspective of eternity.

However, when we keep our focus on eternity, we get perspective and see that the troubles here on earth would soon be over. Even if it takes the summation of a human lifetime, it is still nothing compared to eternity. Eternity is thousands of thousands and millions and millions of years. And even if you live for one hundred and fifty years, you cannot be troubled for one hundred and fifty years. So, whatever trouble we are facing really is small compared to the joy that awaits us. The joy that awaits us is limitless. Perspective is everything.

You have to be emotionally strong. There is internal strength and there is external strength. But stronger than internal and external strength is eternal strength. There is internal motivation and there is external motivation. However, stronger than internal and external motivation is eternal motivation. Keep your focus on God because it is only when you see the invisible that you can do the impossible. So, challenge yourself and refocus your mind. That is the only way you can embrace God’s eternal plan for you.

Prayer: Father, as You renew me in Your presence, help me to fix my gaze on You alone and see things in the light of eternity, in Jesus Name. Amen!