In the ebbs and flows of our daily lives, society, culture and the church, there is no end to the things and personalities that can grab our attention. Inevitably, there is a temptation to become fixated, dominated in our thinking and conversations by these people and themes. Considering this dynamic, Proverbs 4:24-26 (emphasis mine) calls for a focused response:

Keep your mouth free of perversity;
    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
    and be steadfast in all your ways.

Wisdom calls for measured speech, a fixed gaze, and thoughtful consistency in life. The ultimate expression of this commitment in a follower of Jesus is described in Hebrews 12:1-3 (emphasis mine):

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. 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, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

I am not advocating for ignorance regarding the events and personalities in the world around us, local to global. But I do understand the difference between being informed with discerning engagement compared to a dominating fixation that often leads to everything but Christlike behaviour and speech.

The question is, who has the primary attention in our hearts and minds? Who and what are we centred on? In a digitally dominated world, a disciple of Jesus, a citizen of the kingdom, a child of God, is called to fix our gaze on the main things that directly lead to us following the paths God has for us. We are called to “throw off” what hinders us and can lead to sins that easily entangle us, and to keep “fixing our eyes on Jesus.” He is the One who initiated our faith and will bring it to completion, so we must, with dogged determination, keep Him at the centre of our lives, our callings, our cultural engagements, relationships, and our worship. This Israel & New Breed song from a decade-plus ago continues to resonate in the middle of the polarity of our age:

Jesus be the center of my life
Jesus be the center of my life
From beginning to the end
It will always be, it's always been You
Jesus, Jesus
Nothing else matters
Nothing in this world will do
Jesus You're the center
Everything revolves around You
Jesus You [1]

It was in the place of worship recently that I sensed the Lord’s passion to be “The One” at the centre of His people’s attention. The grief He feels when His people idolize other people or pursuits and place them at the centre of their attention became very real to me. I was reminded of the drama in Exodus where Moses meets with the Lord, receives the Ten Commandments, and returns to find the people lost in worship of a golden calf they have made. The Commandments are smashed, the people disciplined, and the Lord needs to refocus His called ones. Will an angel going in front of them be enough to get the people successfully to the promised land? In Exodus 33:12-18, Moses hungers for more:

Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favour with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

You see, the Lord must be at the centre of all we say and do, and His presence (His glory) must tangibly be with us, or whatever is said and done is not worth pursuing. I pray that in our lives, in every context of our lives and callings, that the main passion and motive will be that our Lord’s character and presence will be seen in us.