Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

In this crazy world, where wrong often seems right and what we see as good is often "spoken of as evil," it's easy to be confused. Many saints have followed popular thinking to their own destruction. How can we be in the world without allowing the world to distract us from the mission God has given us?

What is our mission anyway?

• Generally speaking, Jesus' disciples are to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Wherever we live, we are to represent Him--talk as Jesus talked, walk as Jesus walked. In doing so, His joy will remain in us (John 16:24) and we will shine as those who have hope (I Thessalonians 4:13).

• We are to give others a reason for the hope that we have (I Peter 3:15). And that reason is, of course, Jesus who is coming again to receive us unto Himself (John 14:1-3).

•  We are to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). In an age of injustice, cruelty, and pride, we are to act counter-culturally evidencing that God's ways are not man's ways (Isaiah 55:8).

Will we stick out? 

Will we become objects of ridicule? 

Possibly. 

What do we do then?

Sing.

Like Paul and Silas in Acts 16--imprisoned for following Christ--they sang to God through the night and He shook the ground for their sakes, releasing them from prison that they might continue to serve Him.  Sing!

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.