Persevering Through the Trials of Life by Fixing My Eyes on Jesus!

I am on the e-mail distribution list for the Mat-Su Sentinel. I appreciate the quality, in-depth, local reporting of Amy Bushatz for our Alaskan community. I received a message from them on Tuesday, February 24, which read, “If you’re like me, you’re officially at the part of winter where you need something really fun to bust you out of your late-winter funk.” There are times in my winter experiences in Alaska when I have had enough of the dark, enough of the wind, maybe – but not always – enough of the cold and snow. What do you do when you’ve had enough? Amy suggests fun. I confess, that Kathy and I are in Florida for a while. Yet, how do you deal with winter?

On a larger scale, how does a child of God deal with the trials of life? How do we deal with the attacks on our faith and our relationship with our Lord? The bottom line I have learned from the experiences of my life is to “Fix My Eyes on Jesus!”

The writer to the Hebrews recounts the trials and the faith of many Old Testament individuals, and then issues this call for those to whom God inspired him to write, “1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3) To find ‘perseverance’ in the face of the trials of life and attacks on our faith, so that we do not ‘grow weary and lose heart, ‘ the writer instructs, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus”. Jesus also endured deep struggles of life, as we do. In fact, Jesus endured more. He went to the cross. Wonderfully, Jesus is now sitting down at the right hand of His Heavenly Father.

Those Old Testament people looked to the Lord who was with them through their failure and sin. They looked to the Lord who was with them when they suffered slavery in strange lands. They looked to the Lord who was faithful, when others became unfaithful. They looked to the power and love and grace and forgiveness of God, which is ultimately found in Jesus.

However, I want to share with you that such perseverance in life, through trusting in Jesus, is not just found in those who lived in Biblical times. I see it today on a regular basis.

A couple of weeks ago I visited a member of First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, FL. She has suffered medical setback after setback. Yet when I visited, she was praising the Lord and telling me, through the frustration of her ailments, how good and faithful God is. She looked to Jesus, and she perseveres in faith.

I have seen the same in Alaska. In December I visited a lady who was dying of a horrible, incurable disease. Yet when I arrived she received the reading of Scripture and the Lord’s Supper, though it took serious effort to sit up and to pay attention. She expressed thanks for the grace of God through her suffering. That is perseverance.

I have a friend in another state who has faced serious legal issues. There were failures in his life which continue to bring challenges. Yet, he knows the grace of God through forgiveness in Jesus. My friend has grown in his faith and trusts Jesus to deal with his problems and failures. He now witnesses to others about the love of Jesus, and he also encourages me in my service as pastor. That is perseverance, because he fixes his eyes on Jesus.

I have known a man for almost 40 years who has struggled with substance issues. His struggles wreaked havoc on his family, on his work, on his life. We visited many times through his struggles. Somehow in all the failures, he continued to know and trust God’s love in Jesus. Today this man helps others with similar struggles.

On Wednesday morning, February 25, I received an email message from a lady whose family has struggled with their Christian life. Yet she continues worshiping and serving, because Jesus is faithful to her. As the writer to Hebrews declares at the end of chapter 11, he could go on and sharing about people of faith. I could go on and on today, sharing about those who continue trusting and serving their Lord, in spite of their defeats and struggles in this life. I try to bring them encouragement, yet their perseverance, their faith in Jesus, even more encourages and strengthens me.

Many Christians are currently observing the season of Lent, a season of repentance for our sins. Lent is therefore also a time of perseverance, the time that Christians look in hope to the cross of Jesus, the greatest act of love for the whole world. Christians look in hope to the cross where Jesus defeated our sin, overcame our enemies, and won forgiveness and eternal life in heaven.

Amy’s suggestion about dealing with the doldrums of winter is a skate party at the MTA Events Center in Palmer on March 25. That does sound like fun. I have found that time with my Lord and with fellow children of God in worship and fellowship is extremely helpful. Another of my personal practices for dealing with the stresses of life is to experience and to enjoy the faithful love of God in creation. That’s a long phrase to describe . . . fishing! 😊 Ice fishing in March can be glorious! Or, bass fishing in Florida! Yet in all this, I can ‘fix my eyes on my Lord.’

How do you persevere through the constant challenges and burdens of life? How are you able to ‘fix your eyes on Jesus’?