Have you gone through the loss of a friendship, a dream, or a loved one? Are you fighting the fear of never receiving a promise God has made to you? The fear and pain of loss can be debilitating. Have you heard the advice to “keep your eyes on Jesus” over and over until it just rings hollow? But what may have become a cliché is actually the most profound advice of all.
With any kind of loss, fear empowers our anxiety, clouds our thoughts and emotions with poor judgment, and distracts us from the only thing that can help us: Jesus.
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Hebrews 12:2-3).
“Looking unto Jesus” is the most profound advice we can receive. It means turning our attention away from everything except this one thing. We are instructed to focus solely on Jesus and consider only Him. We should meditate and ruminate on Him, capturing our thoughts and emotions and bringing them under His authority. We should concentrate on Him until we are utterly convinced that He is the initiator of this journey of faith within us and He is the only One who can complete it. Regardless of our circumstances, if we fail to maintain ongoing fellowship with Jesus, we will become disheartened and disillusioned. This is true in all details of life, but it is particularly true when we are experiencing loss of any kind. If our loss isn’t filled with Jesus, fear will anchor us instead of faith.
If you do something Scripture instructs you to do and don’t receive what it promises, don’t conclude that it’s not God’s will for you. The issue is never on God’s part. Additionally, remember to be patient with yourself; times of tremendous pain and loss can lead to self-recrimination and judgment. God is faithful. When you focus on God’s ability more than your loss or failure, it is easier to place your trust in Him. If He requires some change on your part, just do it with grace.
God instructs me to believe in Him instead of dwelling on whatever has kept me from trusting Him. Dwelling on my loss keeps me from looking unto Jesus. Consider Peter walking on water. When he took his eyes off Jesus, he noticed the waves. Looking at them, anxiety filled his heart, and he sank (Matthew 14:24-31).
Looking unto Jesus brings us peace. His peace fights and conquers everything that opposes it. When I realize that anxiety has kept me from Jesus, I repent of the sin of holding on to fear. I command that spirit of fear to leave, declaring that it has no place in my life and Jesus has given me power, love, and a sound mind. Now Jesus doesn’t make any of this happen for me. It is my responsibility to step out of the boat and trust Him.
Don’t meditate on your loss or what you have never received from God. Meditate on His true nature. Hebrews 13:6 say that Jesus is your helper. When you cry out for help, He runs to you.
Never give in to self-pity, anger, fear, resentment, and all the emotional junk the enemy stirs within you; you will become a victim and avoid doing what is in your power to help yourself.
Perhaps, right now, you can only take one small step. But what seems a small step to you is huge in God’s eyes. It is like Peter stepping out on water. Unlike Peter, keep your eyes on your Master. Just step out of this loss that has claimed your heart and start moving forward, keeping your eyes on Jesus and not allowing anything to distract you from His perfect peace. He doesn’t want you to become discouraged or weary. He wants you to believe in Him and trust Him no matter what you have seen or experienced. Your part is small. His part is immense. Just take a step of faith and experience the Father empowering you. You will not drown. You will overcome.
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