Keeping Your Focus in the Fog
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross…
Hebrews 12:1-2
Have you ever heard the story of long-distance American swimmer Florence Chadwick? In 1950, she swam 21 miles across the English Channel from France to England in 13 hours and 20 minutes, breaking the women’s world record for traversing that body of water.
One year later, Chadwick swam the English Channel again, this time from England to France, in 16 hours and 22 minutes, thus making her the first woman to swim the channel in both directions.
In 1952, Florence attempted to swim the 26 miles between Catalina Island and the California coastline. She failed. What made her failed attempt so noteworthy was the reason why she didn’t make it.
It wasn’t the cold water or muscle cramps. It wasn’t the sting of jellyfish or the threat of sharks. It wasn’t even the exhaustion of a 16-hour swim. The reason why she quit was fog.
When the fog rolled in, she was unable to see the coastline and with this loss of perspective, she lost her resolve and gave up. Ironically, as she climbed into the boat that was accompanying her, she was informed that she was less than one mile from the shore.
If only she’d known how close she was, she could have persevered. If only she would have envisioned the joy set before her, she could have finished strong.
There are times in life when the fog rolls in and we lose sight of the shore. Someone you love stops loving you in return. A lifelong dream goes off the rails. An unexpected financial reversal rocks you to the core. A dire diagnosis presents an uncertain future.
In the midst of difficult situations and painful circumstances, we often lose heart because we lose our focus. All we can see is the immediate hurt. All we can feel is the present pain.
And it seems like it will last forever.
In the midst of difficult situations and painful circumstances, we often lose heart because we lose our focus. All we can see is the immediate hurt.
The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews offers some wise counsel as it relates to that. He calls us to persevere over the long haul. And the example he cites is none other than Jesus.
Hanging on the cross that Friday, Christ faced unimaginable pain…physical, emotional, spiritual pain. It was as if a dense fog rolled in, growing thicker with each insult hurled at him, each blow of the soldiers’ fists, each desperate gasp for breath. Then in the darkness, you can hear it in His desperate cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Yet in the midst of the fog, He was able to see the finish line. He knew the pain wouldn’t last forever and that the reward would make it all worth it.
He fixed His eyes on the joy that was set before Him. The joy of restored relationship with His Father. The joy of redemption won for mankind. The joy of defeating Satan and opening heaven’s doors for all who come to Him in faith.
Having that sort of perspective can change everything.
Jesus knew the pain wouldn’t last forever and that the reward would make it all worth it… Having that sort of perspective can change everything.
If you doubt that, consider Florence Chadwick. Two months later, she tried making that swim again. The same thick fog set in, but she succeeded in reaching California.
When asked how she did it, she said that she kept a mental image of the shoreline in her mind and focused on that while she swam. That perspective kept her from giving up.
Friends, though the race of your life may be challenging now, the finish line could well be closer than you might know. Moreover, a reward awaits those who run well – one that is literally out of this world.
Let that perspective serve you well…especially when the fog of doubt rolls in.
PRAYER
I’m so grateful that we’re told how Jesus was motivated to endure the cross. That it was for the joy set before Him. May I share the same motivation. And may I run my race with perseverance.
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