Eyes on the Goal
College football is back, which means one thing: we are closer to college basketball (the sport that doesn’t take 5 hours)!
When watching a basketball game, you will often hear a commentator talk about how a shooter was able to make a tough shot. Maybe the commentator talks about how the shooter kept his shoulders “square” to the goal, or maybe there will be a comment about the balance that the shooter maintained.
But ask any great shooter or coach and one of the things they will talk about is how, to consistently make shots–especially tough shots–, you have to keep your eyes on the rim. That is one reason why, even if a defender is several feet away, he will jump and wave his hand. It is why fans behind the backboard will do all sorts of things when a shooter is preparing to take a free throw. If for even a moment that shooter looks somewhere other than a predetermined spot on the rim, he is far less likely to make the shot.
The parallels with our Christian life are obvious, but they are not easy to follow. There are so many things that seek to cause us to avert our eyes from our goal! Maybe it is discouragement. Maybe it’s a season of grief. Maybe it’s a sin that tugs at our hearts. Maybe it is an unwarranted attack on our character. Maybe it is just a season of boredom in life.
The devil will use whatever he can to cause us to move our eyes from the goal.
We simply must not let that happen! The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we must let everything else go to the side and, instead, be “looking to Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2). If our eyes are firmly fixed on Him, then nothing can distract us of our goal of being with Him forever.
Don’t take your eyes off the goal!
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. (Helen Lemmel)
AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
