The Upward Focus That Keeps us from Getting Down

One thing I have got in trouble for over the years is not setting up support groups for peoples’ pet sins. I have been accused of denying my own problems because I don’t put them on a pedestal and worship my efforts to topple them. 

Ah, yes, I do have feelings about such things! 

However, here is why I don’t make pet sins the focus, and here is how to get free of pet and besetting sins: 

“One thing have I asked of Yahweh, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of Yahweh and to inquire in his temple.” 

We have likely heard the saying that you don’t stop thinking of a black horse by focusing on not thinking of a black horse since a black horse will be all you are thinking about! 

So too, we don’t stop our pet-sins by focusing on getting rid of our pet sins. We aren’t told to stop living in the flesh by trying to stop living in the flesh! 

What we are told is that, if we set our minds on the Spirit instead of the flesh, we will experience the Spirit’s righteousness, peace, and joy. As David would concur, when we “gaze upon the beauty of Yahweh,” and we “inquire in his temple,” and we “seek first the kingdom and the righteousness of God,” and we fix our minds on things above where the heavenly Zion magnifies our Savior, always walking by the Spirit, we simply will “not gratify the desires of the flesh.” 

I believe that we can experience daily freedom from sin as we focus on our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord, and so many scriptures attest to this. Here’s just one more: 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Lay aside the weights and sins (instead of setting up a support group to focus on them), keep “looking to Jesus”, and run the race with perseverance. It works as long as we maintain our focus and keep our eyes on the prize.

 

© 2023 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8

Email: in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)