Turn Your Eyes

Disclaimer: This blog post is largely for me to have a space to talk about my obsession with a new song by Natalie Grant and the church where she leads worship, The Belonging Co. (And by “new song”, it is a fresh take on a beloved hymn: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.)

First, go ahead and take a listen. Please, listen. Yes, it’s long. But if you’re like me, you will not want this song to end! Then read what God has laid on my heart below.

Okay. Breathe. Take a moment. Now that your eyes have been turned upon Jesus, let me pose this question: How do we keep our eyes turned upon Jesus? Because it’s not always easy. There’s so much that too often and too easily distracts us from focusing our gaze upon Jesus – the world, our jobs, tragedy, social media, our relationships, school, illness, our own desires. The list goes on and on. And hear me say that not all things which turn our eyes away from Jesus are bad in and of themselves. We do need to focus on relationships and on doing well at our job or with our schoolwork. We need to put energy towards the things God has called us to – but not apart from Him or with our eyes on anyone or anything else above Him.

Hebrews 12:2 tells us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Christ himself is our motivation. He is our strength. He is our hope. Other translations say “fix your eyes”. I love that translation because it demonstrates an intentional focus, a directed attention on the founder and perfecter of our faith. When we intentionally turn our attention to Jesus, we see who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised. This gives us hope, encouragement, joy, freedom, and peace in the midst of any season, sorrow, or situation.

When you’re lonely, fix your eyes on Jesus.

When you’re facing loss, fix your eyes on Jesus.

When you’re anxious, fix your eyes on Jesus.

When you’re discouraged, fix your eyes on Jesus.

When you’re sick, fix your eyes on Jesus.

When your patience is running short, fix your eyes on Jesus.

When you’re struggling with sin, fix your eyes on Jesus.

When you’re tired, fix your eyes on Jesus.

When your heart is broken, fix your eyes on Jesus.

When you’re angry, fix your eyes on Jesus.

When your world is changing, fix your eyes on Jesus.

When your job is the worst, fix your eyes on Jesus.

When you’re experiencing conflict, fix your eyes on Jesus.

And like I said earlier, this is not always the easy or natural thing to do. It’s more natural to turn to a friend or spouse for a good venting session or for their advice. And that’s okay. God has given you earthy relationships for a reason. But where do you turn first? If it’s not to God, try to make that a habit until it becomes the most natural thing for you to do first. He has given you His all. His presence is all we need for everlasting joy. He is good. He is faithful. His Word never fails. He never goes back on His promises. So fix your eyes on Jesus because, in the words of Natalie Grant, in the light of His glory and grace there is freedom, healing, revival, and falling chains!

TURN (FIX) YOUR EYES: ON JESUS.