Maintaining Focus
by Philip Asselin
The Flying Wallendas is the name of a circus act and daredevil stunt performers, best known for performing high-wire acts without a safety net. Shortly after the great aerialist Karl Wallenda fell to his death in 1978, while doing his most dangerous walk, his wife, also an aerialist, said, “All Karl thought about for months before was falling. It was the first time he’d ever thought about that, and it seemed to me that he put all his energies into not falling rather than walking the tightrope.”
Can I just repeat a small section of the above paragraph? “It seemed to me that he put all his energies into not falling rather than walking the tightrope.” Is that how we live the Christian life? One of focusing more on not sinning, rather than focusing on following Jesus. Are we more concerned about failing at what we’re doing than about doing it?
Karl Wallenda had walked tightropes with ease across massive gaps way up high without a safety net for years. He had practiced hard and was supremely confident in his ability. His focus had always been on putting one foot in front of the other, and getting to the other side. Then, for some reason, his focus turned inwards and ultimately he failed. The very thing he feared happened.
What is your focus? Not making mistakes, not sinning, not letting God, your wife, your husband, your children, your parents, your pastor, your boss or yourself down? If so, then I suggest that your focus is wrong. Our focus needs to be on Jesus – the perfecter of our faith.
Let that sink in for a moment! We are not the ones who make our faith perfect – He does! The rest of Hebrews 12:2 helps us see the difference a right focus has. ‘For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ On the cross Jesus focused on the joy set before Him. You and I are that joy!
Prayer: Lord Jesus I choose from today to no longer focus on the negatives in my life. To no longer focus on how I might fail You or anyone else. Instead I choose to fix my eyes on You, determined with Your grace to follow You, putting one foot in front of the other. I know that underneath me are the everlasting arms – there to catch me and hold me fast, whenever I fall or fail. Amen.
Philip Asselin Philip is on the associate ministry and teaching teams with Glyndley Manor. He and his wife Gillian attended the second Healing Retreat at Glyndley Manor in 1992, and were greatly helped. They have two grown up children, one grandson, and a step-granddaughter in California, and a daughter and granddaughter in Eastbourne. His desire is to see people healed and set free to serve God.
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