When we want to accomplish something, we must set our mind’s eye on the desired end we want to see; we must fix our eyes on our goal. This begins at an early age in our lives. Babies in arms see people walking around them upright, and they want to accomplish that goal. It may take some falls, bruises, aches and pains, but the goal is normally accomplished. This repetition occurs throughout our lives as we set our eyes on the goals we want to accomplish.
There are even literal “goals” that people have mastered. For instance, the Harlem Globetrotters are probably the most well-known ever for mastering the art of putting a basketball through the goal. They can make the goal from long distances, from strange positions and with seemingly little effort. They practice a lot, but the main thing they had to do to succeed at the game was to keep their mind’s eye on the goal. Some of them could make the goal from a backward stance. How? Because they knew exactly where the goal was in relation to where they were on the court, and they concentrated on that fact.
At this writing, I am scheduled to see a neurosurgeon about my back problems and a possible aneurysm on the aorta that have caused me to cease a lot of my activities. When I see that doctor, I don’t expect him to pick up a scalpel and start carving on my body to try to find the problem. I expect him to take x-rays, and then, along with the knowledge he has of the innerworkings of the human body, I expect him to come up with a diagnosis. He will have his eye on the goal as he knows how the human body is built, and he will be able to see any problems on the pictures.
Everyone has goals to accomplish. Sometimes it may take a lot of study, concentration and effort to accomplish those goals, but if a person keeps his eyes on the goal and does what is necessary, almost anything can be achieved. That in itself is amazing! Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, we often forget that the same principles that apply to our physical lives also apply to our spiritual lives. When a person learns and accepts the fact that there is an eternal Heaven, he must set his eyes on the goal to reach that heavenly home. He must study God’s Word to know it and then to do what God says to do. The commandment is to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). However, knowing alone is not enough. One must know and do what God says!
Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean that a person will never do anything wrong again. Quite the contrary. We can rest assured that Satan will try harder than ever to get us to take our minds off the goal of an eternal Heaven. He will strive and will do everything within his power to turn us from God’s commandments! Staying fixed on the goal to of Heaven is the only way to get there. Certainly, one will not quit sinning because he becomes a Christian, but with his eyes set on the heavenly goal, he will continue to strive to make things right between God and himself when he errs. John wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9) and “…if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). Jesus is the Christian’s defense attorney!
Sometimes Christians just give up when they sin and cease any effort to be Christ-like. They turn back to the world and lose sight of the fact that they can be forgiven. To accomplish a task, a person’s mind’s eye must be set on the goal to complete it. How much more must Christians set their eyes on a heavenly goal to accomplish it by praying for forgiveness and then practicing faithfulness and strength! God bless us in doing that.
