Something that Might Actually Help
Since 2021 is off to such a great start it….wait….. that’s not right…..Let me try this again….. Since 2021 is starting off as the sequel to 2020, what should we do? Although it seems like this is a week/day/month/year for ranting on social media, I’ve not known any rants on social media to be productive or constructive. So, let’s scratch that option. What else can we do? Watch the news incessantly for the next few weeks? While we all want to understand the world around us, much of the news industry today seems to exist for the purpose of providing spokespersons for the various political affiliations rather than engaging in a thoughtful and objective search for truth. We could scroll social media endlessly and see what all our friends are saying about things. We’ll probably all do this anyway, but I don’t believe we will be helped by any of it. We need to do something that can actually help us.
A few days ago I was reading the book of Hebrews and I ran across two words that have captured my attention ever since. Let me share the whole verse so you can read what I read: “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession” (Hebrews 3:1). The two words that stood out to me are: “Consider Jesus.” I’ve not known this phrase to appear on T-shirts or coffee mugs or anything so you might be tempted to read past it to something more familiar but you would miss out on a treasure if you were to do that.
Although this exhortation to “consider Jesus” appears in the third chapter of Hebrews this is the first instruction in the book. Some books of the Bible (like James for instance) are highly practical and are filled with instructions. By contrast, Hebrews contains a sparing mix of exhortations in the midst of rich teaching about Jesus. It is significant that the first instruction God gives to us in this book is to consider Jesus.
What does it mean to consider Jesus? The word itself means to think attentively or fix your thoughts on. The first thing the book of Hebrews tells us to do is to fix our eyes on Jesus. This might be the most overlooked aspect of Christian living today. Maybe it sounds almost simplistic. However, the moment we fail to consider Jesus is the moment we begin to fail and falter in the Christian life. In the midst of the culture at war with itself that is America in 2021, we make a mistake if we focus solely on current events. I’m not saying these things don’t matter. But I am saying these things aren’t ultimate. Jesus is. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. Today and everyday.
As the old hymn says...
"O soul, are you wearied and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free! Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace.”