I was reading a story the other day about Karl Wallenda, a great aerialist, who at the age of 73 tragically fell to his death,  while attempting the most dangerous tightrope walk of his life.  Karl Wallenda was known for performing hire-wire acts without a safety net. Karl’s wife, also an aerialist, said it seemed that for months before attempting this dangerous tightrope walk, she saw Karl put all his energies into not falling, rather than walking the tightrope. It was the first time she had ever seen her husband do that.

For years, Karl Wallenda had walked many other tightrope’s with ease and without a safety net. He would spend hours practicing and getting his mind focused on any walk he was about to attempt. He was extremely confident in his abilities. Karl’s focus had always been on putting one foot in front of the other till he reached the other side. For some reason, that day, Karl’s focus got away from what he had been doing for years and the result was that he tragically fell to his death.

We read in Hebrews 12:2 “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.” Everything we read Jesus did while He was on earth was done as an example for you and me. He never wasted an opportunity to show us what it meant to be Christ like.

I had a tremendous mentor in the early days of my walk with the Lord who painstakingly took so much time to show me the way I should go; the way I should live my life, and I will be forever grateful to Jay. Yet the number one thing I remember Jay always saying to me when I came to those valley’s; those character building moments in my life, was that as long as I kept my eyes on the Lord, I would be safe.

We read the example Jesus left for you and me in Hebrews 12:2, ‘For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame.’ The book of Revelation speaks about the New Jerusalem, the place we all long for. Revelation 21:3-4 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God Himself is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Too many Christians place their focus on not making mistakes, not sinning, not letting God, their wives, their husbands, their parents, their pastor, their boss or even themselves down and that is a daunting task to say the least. The writer of Hebrews says our focus needs to be on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Jesus kept His eyes; His focus on the joy set before Him; sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God. You and I need to keep our eyes set, our eyes focused on the fact that one day we will be forever with our Lord Jesus. He will wipe every tear, every sorrow, every failure, from our eyes. In His presence there will be no more death, or mourning, crying or pain for we will live forever with Him.

Where is your focus today; on what are you setting your eyes upon? That new car or home, being successful, being well liked by all, being the most popular or richest person, the greatest athlete or movie star, etc. etc.? My friend, let’s determine to take our eyes, our focus off things that will eventually get old and break. Let’s determine to take our eyes, our focus off people as they will surely let us down. Let’s determine to stay focused on the Lord and the joy set before us. Focus, focus my friend!!