Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. (verse 1)
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“Fix your thoughts on Jesus.” What a simple, profound statement. Let your mind settle on him. Consider him attentively. Stay focused there. That’s the calling.
This same concept is brought forward again later by this very same writer. Having reviewed the heroes of faith, the great cloud of witnesses, the writer rallies us, saying, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). The verb is different, but the command is identical.
I love it. This is the very thing we’re seeking to do together in these daily devotionals. Eyes on Jesus. Yes.
Practically, to “fix thoughts on Jesus,” can’t mean we think of nothing else. Our Lord calls us to engage in life, in work, in caring for others, in fellowship and relationships, in creativity, and on and on. Being human, and limited, the capacity of our minds requires us to stay sharp, focusing on many things successively. But Jesus is to be home base. Our thoughts are to be so anchored here, that they are irresistibly drawn back again and again. Like metal filings to a magnet, or moths to a flame, or hungry kids to the dinner table, or heart to home.
While we can’t banish other necessary thoughts from our minds, we can strengthen the default setting so that we instinctively re-enter attentiveness, picking up the conversation with our Lord, consciously enjoying his constant presence once more.
This is the point of regular time in his word. We use our mind to think his thoughts after him. We build the habit of turning to him. It’s also the value of scripture memorization – carving tracks in our mind, such that a remembered word or phrase draws us back into reflecting more deeply on our Lord. Meditating on those same scriptures can open up fresh expanses of sight, causing us to more firmly grab hold of truths that root us in Jesus. Reminding ourselves of those scriptures during the day, draws us back.
It’s also the added value of worship music. Although the primary purpose is to honour our Lord, expressing his worth, it also captures our own hearts, connecting them with our Saviour afresh. The God-given emotive quality of music can be used by him to call heart and soul home once more. It becomes an added means of fixing our thoughts on him. My son spends much more time commuting on freeways than he’d like, but he’s discovered afresh that worship music can redeem the time. A drawn-out road trip becomes a season of fellowship with Jesus, fixing thoughts on him.
So go for a drive and soak in the Lord as you soak in the music. Or listen to a sermon on podcast, filling your mind with truth that is in Jesus. Take a prayer walk, placing your concerns freshly in his hands. Pause to recite a favourite scripture to yourself, allowing connection to deepen with your Lord. Remind yourself in the midst of life’s daily activities that he gladly receives all of it as service to himself. Pause often to simply lift your sights, focusing thought on him.
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters … fix your thoughts on Jesus.
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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.
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Try it: Set a timer at several points in your day (as often as you choose). Take a moment each time to re-fix your thoughts on Jesus. Greet him. Embrace his presence.
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Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay
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