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Fix Your Eyes

Do you occasionally get distracted? Maybe you watch TV while cooking and the food burns. Or you chat with friends during baseball practice and the ball rolls right past you. Maybe you look up from your homework, spot the latest issue of Clubhouse and slam your math book shut so you can read the magazine instead (making your teacher not too happy).

Something like this happened to me recently. I was outside riding my bike when I heard a noise. I turned my head to look behind me but saw nothing. When I looked forward, I realized I had almost ridden off the sidewalk.

The following verses came to mind: “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you… Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:25,27).

When I got distracted, I almost crashed. In the same way, sinful distractions cause us to swerve and crash. Unless we’re “fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2), we’re in danger. Other priorities—such as sports, school, pets or popularity— can obscure our relationship with the Lord. It’s hard to focus on Him when our lives are full of idolatry, sin and doubt.

Looking straight ahead is excellent advice for a bike rider but even better advice to an easily distracted Christian.

Vision Test
So how do you fix your eyes on Jesus? Stay faithful. Read your Bible, pray, attend church with true believers and sound teaching, share the Gospel and memorize Scripture. Even when the world does all it can to draw your attention, focus on the Lord.

Try to resist distractions. Turn off the TV, make plans to talk later and ignore that magazine sitting temptingly nearby (however hard that may be). It takes effort and willingness, but you can do it. Look to Jesus all the time, no matter the cost.

Grab a pen right now and brainstorm three practical ways you can focus on the Lord instead of the world.

Fix your eyes. Stay focused. Avoid distractions.

Faith in Focus
Memorize these verses to help you stay committed:

“My eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge.” —Psalm 141:8

“Continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” —Colossians 1:23

“Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus.” —Hebrews 3:1

All verses taken from the NIV translation.

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Every month, Focus on the Family Clubhouse magazine features fun crafts and recipes for children ages 8-12. More than 80,000 families use the Christ-centered stories, quizzes and puzzles to help their kids learn about and grow closer to Jesus.