Let’s Fix Our Eyes On the Changeless One

As we move into a new season, our hearts are reminded of the reality that nothing stays the same. The swirling leaves, while beautiful, are a prelude to the cold winter months to come. We fix our eyes on the change that is in the air, and that is certainly a metaphor for our ever-changing lives. The world as a whole is changing so quickly that we can hardly keep up (and do we even want to??)! The world my children are growing up in is far different from the world that you and I grew up in…and really, when you think about it, the world we grew up in is far removed from the one our parents were raised in.

Sure, there are positive changes as well, but so many negatives. Maybe in your world, it is personal change. Perhaps you find yourself in place in life you never thought that you would. Maybe it’s a broken relationship, a loss of a job, the pain of change in your church life, betrayal of a friend, or the disappointment and grief of a child that has walked away from all that you hold dear.

If we allow ourselves, as Christians, we can become discouraged by the change swirling all around us like autumn leaves. Can we weather the next storm that will come our family’s way? How can we ever feel secure? We can become fearful for our children and for the coming generations. I mean, what will the next wind of change bring? Change is truly the only constant…or is it?

I want to remind you today of something you may already know: in this swirling, whirling storm of change, something else– SOMEONE else remains constant. If we can bring our vision into focus and fix our eyes on the Changeless One–Jesus, we can allow the world to go on as it will and rest in Someone so constant and so secure that we NEVER need to fear the next season of change.

But how do we do this? How do we fix our eyes so completely that everything else just fades away? I would like to remind you of three things that will help us to bring things into proper focus and perspective, even in the changes of this life!

This verse tackles one of the MAJOR problems that we run into when we are overcome with fear of change: WHERE our eyes are focused! We focus all around us on the world, and it’s all a mess! It’s all so very broken!

When our focus is down and all around us, all we can see is the darkness. Fortunately, the Psalmist, thousands of years ago, had the cure! He said, “I will LIFT UP my eyes!” In other words, he wasn’t looking all around him. He even looked at the mountains, seemingly so steady, and yet he knew his help didn’t come from there. He had to keep looking up further! And then he exclaims, “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!” Aha, there it is!!

If you read on in the chapter, you see that the Psalmist just delves further into who the LORD is and all that He is. He’s our keeper, our protector, our preservation! The author ends the Psalm by saying that the LORD will keep watch over us right now and forever!

I don’t know about you, but I want to keep lifting my eyes, up, up, UP, until all I can see is the LORD who made heaven and earth. Until nothing else in my personal life or the world around me can bring me to my knees! I want to be focused on the One who remains CHANGELESS! I think you will agree with me that WHERE we fix our eyes makes all the difference!

This point might seem a little unusual, but bear with me! WHEN you fix your eyes on Jesus matters! How many things do we put before the Lord in our everyday lives? Maybe it’s sleep (guilty-help me, Jesus!), maybe it’s our job, kids, our spouse, or even simply our work of homemaking! You might think, “All of these things are super important,” and you would be absolutely correct! None of these things can be neglected, but when we put our primary focus on them before Him, we are thrown into a perpetual cycle of stress, anxiety, and maybe even fear!

When we seek Jesus first- early and diligently, we will find Him! When we seek Him at the beginning of our day, and don’t try to fit Him into the leftovers, we can more effectively fix our eyes on the Lord. Starting your day with Jesus allows you to begin from a place of peace and to walk with Him all day long. We can commune with Him daily because He has promised to be with us always-even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20)–at which point we will be with Him, with our eyes forever fixed on worshiping the Lamb! There will be no sin and darkness there, and we will never lose our focus again! I get just a little bit excited about being FOREVER with the Changeless Savior! Look to Jesus first, before the demands of the day, and just see if He won’t give you peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) no matter what winds of change may blow your way today. WHEN we fix our eyes each day matters, friend!

Lastly, we see that it matters greatly WHO we fix our eyes on. It is super easy to get focused on the “principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world” it talks about in Ephesians 6:12. Boy, is there A LOT of darkness in this world! Look to the people of the entertainment industry- I promise you that you will be disgusted by the great corruption! Look to politicians- I can assure you that you will come away feeling hopeless at the state of world! Focus on social media too much and you will begin to feel inferior, depressed, and discontent.

Truly, all of these things I mentioned are so fluid and changeable- like the wind! One moment, someone is revered and lauded, and the next horrible accusations arise about them. One moment, we may feel secure, and then the next, a national tragedy shatters that peace.

Say nothing of social media trends! Who can keep up with those? By the time you paint your house in the most trendy color scheme, the next trend has already surpassed it! You buy all the clothes that are “the look” for the coming season, and it promptly changes! There is no stability in this old world! There will always be a new thing coming “down the pike,” and the constant scramble to keep up with it all is a breeding ground for discontentment with your life and self-loathing!

What about if we set our eyes too fully on even our friends, religious leaders, children, or spouses? The reality is that no matter how close we are to people, they are all human and we will come away disappointed. Am I painting a bleak picture?? I hope so because I am about to give you a beautiful contrast!

If you are tired of your inner peace being destroyed by the changing world around you, may I introduce you to my beautiful Friend, Jesus! He changes not!! No matter the next trend or tragedy, He remains forever CHANGELESS! My heart is blessed just writing this, friend! Even despite all of the darkness of this world, in the Light of the World, there is not even one single shadow of change!!

If we could only grasp hold of this fact: when we fix our eyes and focus on the person of Jesus Christ, our hearts can remain completely unchanged no matter who or what changes around us. The peace of God can “rule in our hearts” (Colossians 3:15).

I hope you picked up on something of upmost importance as you read this! Did you happen to notice that WHERE and WHEN we fix our eyes, and WHO we fix our eyes on all point directly back to Jesus Christ? Friend, do you know Him? He is the only way to have true joy, peace, and contentment in this broken, ever-changing world! I would love to introduce you to Him! He loves you so much that He gave himself so that you could be forgiven, redeemed, and eternally at peace! If you would like to talk more about this, please reach out to me! You don’t have to live in turmoil another day!

Maybe, you already know Jesus as your personal Savior, but you’ve lost your focus! You’ve let the darkness and instability around you get the better of you. I confess, in some ways, I think sometimes this is me! I invite you to re-center with me- to focus and fix your eyes TODAY on the Changeless one. He has it all in His control!

I’d love to know your thoughts on this devotional! Leave a comment below and let me know what you are thinking today! Also, if there is any way I can pray for you, please don’t hesitate to ask! It is an honor to pray for you and with you, friend!

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Check out my friend’s blog post! I think you will be blessed by it and learn much!

What Are Devotions and Why Are They Important? – Mamas Front Porch Swing