Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

 

We all go through dry seasons and difficult times.

They reveal what we really believe and what we have inside our hearts.

If your faith seems weak and uncertain, and if you are battling to believe, just don’t give up but keep pursuing Jesus. Consider these words, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith”. The Greek word for “fixing” is aphoraō which means “to turn your eyes away from everything so to focus on one thing”.

Look to Jesus. This is because Jesus is the "pioneer" of our faith, which means He is the one who first causes us to believe in Him and continues to help us believe in Him. Jesus is also the "perfecter" of our faith, growing and strengthening it so that we can trust Him even more.

We must choose to keep our eyes on Jesus, not our circumstances.

Circumstances, particularly when we are suffering, can erode our trust in God and make us suspicious of Him. When we are in doubt or despair, God appears to be harsher and more punitive, and that makes trusting Him difficult. We must learn to recover our faith by rejecting any distracting thoughts and fleshy impulses.

Wanting our faith to flourish is like running in a race. We are to persevere and not waver in unbelief. If we stumble and fall, we must remember that faith comes from abiding in Him. Trust Him to strengthen you to endure so that you hold on to God’s promises in times of hardship and challenges.