Argh! I fumbled around trying to find my phone and hit snooze. Great! It’s time to get up! I should have got to bed earlier. Now the kids are up and I won’t get to have my morning quiet time. My day is messed up. Why didn’t I get to bed earlier? It was a new sunny morning, but I was already frustrated and my thoughts were full of self-condemnation.

And then a new thought hit me. Eyes on God. Oh right. I am supposed to be encouraging others to keep their eyes on God. I’d better shift my focus. I thanked God for the sleep I did get. I turned on some worship music and sang along. I managed to get some moments alone for quiet time while the kids played outside. By grace I managed to quit the self-absorption.

Daily we are presented with multiple opportunities to put our eyes on God or keep them on ourselves. (In case you have not realised, they naturally gravitate to ourselves every time.) Had I kept my eyes on myself, I could have ruined the whole day. Thankfully I was able to look to Him – the Source of peace and joy and life.

Here are some examples of the trouble we run into when our eyes are on ourselves:

• Self-pity and complaining. This one is obvious. It’s all about me and how hard I have it and how unfair it is. I don’t actually want to change the focus because I want it to be about me.
• Fear. Unhealthy fear is based on imagined situations without taking God into account. We reckon that we do not have the resources for the imagined situation (which we probably don’t in ourselves) but we forget about God. We forget God will be with us and help us through even the most terrible situations.
• Anxiety. Closely related to fear, anxiety is the result of believing some lies related to our identity. I may be anxious about what people think about me because I haven’t grasped the full truth of God’s love for me. I may be anxious about what might happen tomorrow, because I don’t fully believe that God will take care of me.
• Pride. I compare myself to others and come out on top. I might never admit my thoughts aloud, or even recognise pride itself. But blinded by my ego, I lose sight of God.
• Insecurities. Once again I am focused on myself – all the weaknesses and flaws I see and judge. I disqualify myself from much of what God would have me involved in.
• Shame. Similar to insecurities, shame goes deeper. I believe there is something wrong with me at the core. If other people knew this terrible thing about me, they would not like/love/want to be with me.
• Bitterness. Instead of forgiving as Jesus commands us to do, I nurse my wounds and they fester. Once again the focus in on me and how much that other person has hurt me. It would do me good to look to God and remember how much I have been forgiven by Jesus.
• Jealousy. It might seem I am focused on another person, but I am still focused on me, aware of what I don’t have or how unfair the situation is for me.
• Greed. Once again, I am the one to be satisfied.
• Depression. Eyes on self is not necessarily the cause of depression, but it is especially hard to take the eyes off of self when depressed.

I don’t pretend to understand the book of Job, but he did pretty well to keep his eyes on God amidst hugely challenging circumstances. In a short space of time he lost his livestock and possessions, his children, his health, and even his desire to live. Job could have been tempted to any number of the above examples. But we find his exemplary declaration:

“Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15).

Job recognised the reality of his circumstances. He did not downplay them, but then he turned his eyes to God and affirmed his hope in God. That word “hope” is translated “trust” in some versions, but it can also mean “to wait for.” In Psalm 38:15 it is translated, “LORD, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God.” Waiting, hoping, trusting, looking to God – it is all conveyed in the one word. I believe it is the key to getting through the big challenges in life as well as the small everyday challenges we face within ourselves.

It is not enough to take our eyes off ourselves; we must fix them on God. This is the basic definition of repentance: turning away from something towards something. As we change adjust our focus, we can ask God’s forgiveness for focusing on ourselves and turn to Him instead. When we turn our eyes to God we realise the following:

• God is big and powerful

Job was reminded of this. For almost four whole chapters God lists some of the details of His job description and it is overwhelmingly impressive (Job 38-41). “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? … Have you ever given orders to the morning? … Who provides food for the raven? … Do you give the horse his strength?…”

The Bible is full of proof of God’s power. He created the earth and galaxies and light itself. He can use a nation or nature to punish another nation. Not only can He kill people, He can also raise people from the dead. He knows every thought and every hidden motive of everyone ever. There is nothing too hard for God.

• God looks after His own

God is a good Shepherd (John 10:11). Not only does He look after His sheep, He lays down His life for them. With God as our Shepherd, we will always have everything we need (Psalm 23:1). Jesus reminds us that our Father knows what we need before we even ask Him, so we are not to worry about what we will eat or wear (or anything else we need). Instead, our task is to “seek first the kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:31-33) In a nutshell: eyes on God.

• The supernatural realm is more real than the natural realm

Elisha’s servant looked out the window one morning and saw an army with chariots surrounding the city. They were on a mission to capture Elisha. “Oh my lord, what shall we do?” asked the servant. His eyes were on his own resources which were insufficient for the situation, so he was afraid. But Elisha’s eyes were on God, and he could tell his servant not to be afraid. Elisha prayed that God would open the servant’s eyes. The servant then saw “the hills full of horses and chariots” – a heavenly army ready to defend them. No wonder Elisha was not afraid.

When we keep our eyes on ourselves and our circumstances, it is easy to forget about the supernatural realm. But when we lift our eyes to God, we are reminded of what we cannot see. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 is especially encouraging as a reminder to fix our eyes on God:

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

• We have access to God’s resources

One little boy could have looked at his lunch and kept it for himself, but he came with Andrew and offered it to Jesus. Everybody else thought they were out to lunch. Jesus gave thanks and a miracle took place: five thousand-plus hungry people were fully fed on one lunch (John 6:5-13).

The Holy Spirit is not limited to the material or human logic or time. Everything in creation, every atom, is at God’s disposal. God can create out of nothing. Heaven’s resources include provision, wisdom, miracles, angelic protection, and frequently accomplish the impossible.

• Our issues get put back into perspective

When we turn our eyes from ourselves to God, we remember how big God is, and suddenly our current trials don’t seem so unscalable. When we remember what Jesus went through to secure our eternity with Him, we recognise that even our deepest suffering is just a blip in light of eternity. Our trials become bearable and our bad hair day doesn’t even register on the radar.

The disciples argued amongst each other about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Luke 9:46). They were focused on themselves and how great they each thought they were. Jesus reminded them that it is not about them, it’s actually about Jesus. Like the disciples, we are called to serve in humility. It didn’t matter which of them was greater; Jesus is the only One who is worthy to be exalted.

• We remember who we are in Christ

The most accurate description of who we are is who God says we are. When we try to define ourselves, we may come up with some personality traits, strengths and weaknesses, but all of these are contingent on our current capability. Our view of ourselves tends to be exaggerated or minimised. When we look to God, we are reminded of the identity He gives us (for it is a gift). In Ephesians 1, God says we are blessed, chosen, set apart, without blame, loved, predestined, adopted, redeemed, forgiven. All these descriptors are things that someone – God – has done for/to us. This identity does not change, for it rests on God, not on us, and God doesn’t change.

When our eyes are on God our attitude changes, our posture changes, our thinking changes, our emotions align with God’s truth, and new possibilities enter the equation. The challenge is constantly bringing our eyes back to God and keeping them there, for much in life distracts and pulls at our attention.

So how do we keep our eyes on God all the time? The answer is worth another blog post, but I am sure you can think of several ways. I encourage you to keep prioritising these. Read the Bible daily. Memorise portions of it. Put on worship music. Put reminders on your phone wallpaper, on your wrist, in your calendar. Find friends who can encourage you with testimonies and call you out when you are focused on yourself.

You can also sign up for my Eyes on God emails (in the sidebar). Every two weeks I send a brief email encouragement to lift our eyes off ourselves and our circumstances and put them onto God. I write to myself just as much as to anyone else, and it has been really good to have to think in this way. I know I need to be reminded often.  

May you experience the Holy Spirit – our Helper – come alongside you as you endeavour to keep your eyes on God. May you embrace His nudges to lift your eyes off yourself and onto God (even when it’s hard). And may you live in the joy-filled reality of the expectant awareness of God.

Sandi