Learning the Jesus Way of LifeSample

What It’s Like When God Is in Charge (Part 5)

Pray: Jesus, give me the faith to go where you go, do what you do, trust what you say, and love how you love. Today, I commit to following you. Amen.

Yesterday, we learned to pray like Jesus. Today, we’re going to learn the importance of fixing our eyes on what matters most.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:22–23 NIV

In these two verses, Jesus sets up a metaphor comparing our eyes to a lamp. If our eyes are healthy, then the lamp is doing what it’s supposed to and providing light to our bodies. On the flipside, if our eyes are unhealthy, then it’s like the lamp is broken. Instead of being filled with light, we will be full of darkness—which is not at all what we’re supposed to be full of. Remember, just one chapter ago, Jesus called us the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)!

If you’re reading these verses in the NIV, you’ll notice that you can click on the three dots next to the words “healthy” and “unhealthy.” The footnote tells us that these words can also be used to mean, respectively, generous and stingy.

The idea is that when our eyes are healthy, we will see the world through a lens of generosity. But, when our eyes are unhealthy, we will look at the world through the lens of stinginess. This is the Biblical equivalent of what we mean when we talk about “seeing the glass as half empty or half full.”

So, what exactly is Jesus doing here? He wants us to know that the way we see the world matters because how we see influences what we believe. For example, what most people believe about God is shaped by what they see Christians do. If you’ve grown up seeing Christians behave in ways that are humble, kind, loving, and just, then seeing God as a good and loving Father, one who cares deeply about His kids and the world they inhabit, probably isn’t too difficult. But, if the only examples of Christians you’ve seen are people who “talk the talk” without “walking the walk,” or pastors and leaders involved in deception and scandal, or parents who would act holy and loving at church but treated you horribly at home, then seeing God the way Jesus describes Him is much harder.

Why? Because how we see influences what we believe.

Jesus follows this metaphor with a warning:

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24 NIV

Everyone serves someone or something. We are either serving and worshiping God, or we are serving and worshiping something else. When anything other than God comes first in our lives, we are committing the sin of idolatry. Idolatry is when we let something else take God’s place in our hearts.

Here, Jesus calls out one of the most common idols: money. Now, to be clear, money by itself isn’t a bad thing. The problem is when we care more about making money than we do about obeying God.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10 NIV

When money becomes the ultimate aim of our lives, we will find ourselves heading down a very dangerous road. Our light will be choked out by darkness. And we will gradually be deformed into people who only look to our own interests and ignore the needs of others.

This is the exact opposite of the kind of person Jesus invites us to be. Jesus wants to form us into the kind of people who love God with all that we are and love others the same way He loves us.

Money isn’t the only culprit of spiritual deformation. Anything, other than God, that comes first in our lives becomes an idol. And every idol pushes us away from God and wreaks havoc on our souls.

So, what do we do?

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 NIV

We make God and His kingdom the ultimate aim of our lives. We choose intimacy with Him. We chase after obedience in everything we do. We pursue holiness, integrity, goodness, and purity, every chance we get. We ask Jesus to remake us into His image. We ask the Father to fuel us with His love. We ask the Holy Spirit to guide our steps.

And when we miss the mark—because we will miss the mark—we get back on our feet and try again, knowing the grace of God will catch us every time we fall.

Because God’s kingdom is built on a bedrock of blessing, sin is taken seriously and mercy is given relentlessly. God isn’t looking for a flashy performance; He’s looking for humble obedience.

You will never hit the target of God’s righteousness if you aren’t aiming for it.

Aim for what matters most. Commit yourself to God and the mission of advancing His kingdom. When you inevitably miss the mark, do it boldly. Aiming for perfection and missing will get you so much closer to God’s will than not aiming for it at all.

In everything you do, let Jesus be the standard you are striving for.

When you’re studying for finals, study with the same intensity that Jesus would. When you’re presenting to your boss at work, present with the same honesty that Jesus would. When you’re enjoying a romantic evening with that special someone, honor them with the same dignity that Jesus would. When you’re exhausted from all the stress and pressure of life, carry yourself with the same loving kindness with which Jesus carried His cross.

Jesus is the ultimate aim of the Jesus way of life. He is the reward—being with Him, becoming like Him, and playing our part in fulfilling His mission.

Application: What is the ultimate aim of your life? What are you trying to accomplish? Who do you hope to become? Is it Jesus and the way of life He has called you to? Or is it something else? Honestly evaluate what your life is really about. If it’s Jesus and His mission, then fantastic. Stay the course. If it’s not, then repent; redirect your life back to God.

Here are some questions to help you determine what your eyes are really fixed on:

What do you focus on the most during your day? What do you think about when you’re lying in bed at night? What is your favorite thing to talk about with friends? Where does most of your money go? What could you not live without?