gaining_fixed

Gaining a Fixed Gaze, by Gini Kittle

“With my eyes fixed on the goal I push on to secure the prize of God’s heavenward call in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 3:14

Too many believers’ lives are like the ball in a pinball machine. It just sits there inactive until someone launches it up a long chamber and it begins careening down on a wild and crazy ride — bouncing back and forth against the bumpers, and randomly hitting targets as bells ring and lights flash. While the player uses small flippers to try and keep the ball in play, at last, the ball slips down into oblivion. This type of believer is constantly reacting (or overreacting) to what befalls them. Much of their life is little more than chance — created more by outside circumstances than inward determination. Like a pinball game, they display little control of the outcome, with any positive results being based on mere happenstance or sheer dumb luck.

But our lives, as believers, should not be controlled by luck or “fate.” We are to be men and women of action … not reaction! We are instructed in 2 Corinthians 5:7 to “walk by faith.”

Our lives should be more like archery than pinball. The archer takes out his arrow, carefully places it on the string of his bow, and precisely aims it at the target and then shoots. None of us will become more Christ like by accident. This will only happen by vigilantly fixing our attention on the target, which is Jesus Christ. As true believers, we must be “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2). There is no other way to be both pleasing to God and more fully conformed into His image.