All Eyes on the Prize

Editorial by Jerry Lutz

In today’s tech-reliant world, it can be tougher than ever to focus on something without getting distracted. Some of the wonderful gadgets designed to make our lives easier and keep us constantly connected can be dangerous—and even deadly—when, for instance, one’s attention is on texting instead of on the more pressing matter of driving. Of course, ours is not the first generation to face the challenge of staying on-task. Proverbs 4:25 says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you” (NIV). Distraction was apparently a concern back in the days of Solomon too.

In New Testament times, it was the apostle Paul whose life was surrounded by potential distractions that few of us can imagine. Yet, from prison he wrote, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14, NIV). In other words, keep your eyes on Jesus, no matter what, in order to receive the heavenly reward.

There are numerous examples in the Bible of what can happen when someone takes their eyes off the prize, not the least of which was Adam and Eve. Talk about the negative consequences of not maintaining one’s focus!

And then there is us … and The Great Commission. What would it be like if every Chesapeake member (and for that matter, every Adventist in the world) ignored the distractions from the mission, in all of their counterproductive forms, and was fully focused on keeping to the task to which Jesus has called us? Let us pray and strive for a day when this hope becomes a reality, not just for the sake of our own salvation, but for the sake of those who do not yet know Jesus as their Savior.