When Our Eyes Are Fixed On Jesus

Matthew 6:22–23
“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Have you ever felt you were going perfectly fine in your walk with God when all of a sudden you felt lost along the way? Do you sometimes feel like you’re in the middle of a tug-of-war—God on one side, the world on the other?

1 Timothy 6:12 says we are to fight the good fight of faith<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>. Struggle is part of the Christian walk, yet daily renewal of the mind through God’s Word plays a major role. If you miss it, you won’t produce the fruit of the Spirit.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:22–23 that the eye is the lamp of the body. If our eyes are healthy in a spiritual sense, our whole body will be full of light. If they are unhealthy, the body is full of darkness. Whatever we fix our eyes on will give either light or darkness that will reflect outward.

Sometimes, the cause of sickness is mostly spiritual—stemming from hatred, disobedience, anger, fear, anxiety, unforgiveness, bitterness, and so on. This happens because of what our eyes focus on, which feeds our minds and hearts. When our eyes focus on the wrong things, our thoughts, will, and emotions become misaligned with God’s will, producing darkness and even sickness.

We can focus too much on struggles, pains, and hardships, which creates stressful thoughts and emotions that weaken the immune system. Galatians 5:22–23 says the fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” If we are not producing these fruits despite struggles, we are not walking according to the Spirit. Our feelings can deceive us; that’s why we must read God’s Word daily to be reminded of who we are in Christ.

Hebrews 12:1–2 reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus. It is by focusing on Him that all struggles and suffering become worth it. In fact, it is our joy when we undergo trials, for it means we share in Christ’s sufferings so we may also share in His glory (Romans 8:17). When we fix our eyes on Jesus—the Light of the World (John 8:12)—our eyes will reflect His light, giving life to our bodies. His Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies.