Losing our vision along the path is quite easy. The daily chores, routines, and stresses of life take over. Each next step seems all important. At times we are simply trying to make it through the day or even the next hour. Even godly pursuits such as reading the Bible, praying, memorizing Scripture, and exercising hospitality lose focus. And the vision is lost.
What vision must the Christian keep before their eyes? One must rise above all others. The psalmist rightly says, “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple” (Ps. 27:4).
What must be our vision? It must be the beauty of the Lord.
Our heads quickly nod in agreement, but reality proves more difficult. Pursuing Christ, seeking to gaze upon His beauty, is a daily discipline for the Christian. We want to know, serve, love, and obey Christ because we desire to see Him above all else. But this vision does not come easily. It requires discipline, mind engagement, and holy pursuit. Anything that hinders our view must be jettisoned. Anything that increases our view must be embraced. Nothing proves more lovely to our souls, more worthy of our affections, or more glorious to our minds.
Christ is our pursuit in this life and the next. As Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). As you go about your daily work, do so with Christ in view. As you seek to parent your children and love your spouse, do so with Christ in view. As you read your Bible and pray, do so with Christ in view. Plead with Him every morning to give you a greater vision of His beauty. Thank Him every evening for the delights you enjoyed.
Labour to steal every slight view of Him in the present, looking to the future when you shall know Him in full even as you are fully known (1 Cor. 13:12).
-JASON HELOPOULOS