3 Fixations Beneficial to Your Emotional & Spiritual Health

by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.

Summary: Psychologists would usually tell you that “fixations” are to be avoided. But there are three healthy fixations that, by contrast, are beneficial to your spiritual health and wellness and will help you to live a victorious life.

Hebrews 12:1-4  ...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. [2] Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross... [3] Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. [4] In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

•• We live lives filled with hindrances (vs. 1) — financial shortfalls, people who dislike us or oppose us, cars or plumbing breaking down, and many other negatives.

•• And, of even greater consequence, each of us also lives with the constant, daily testings and trials of our sin natures (vs. 1), our tendency to be easily entangled by sin.

•• Is there a solution to these obstacles to a victorious daily walk with the Lord?

• Is there a way to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” us?

• Is there a way to “run with perseverance”?

• Is there a way to win our “struggle against sin”?

•• Yes! The answer is a healthy fixation — “Fix [your] eyes upon JESUS ... Consider Him...” (vs. 2).

• There is a wonderful worship song with these lyrics:

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace”

•• Some years ago, after the close of a church service, a few of us were standing around when a young man with a history of seizures began to have another one. Immediately one of us encouraged him to call out the name “Jesus! Jesus!...” He did that, and the onset of the seizure stopped!

• What had just happened? He had fixed his eyes on Jesus, and Jesus met him at his point of need.

•• In 1969, after many weeks of reading the Scriptures, I set aside my prior theological “clutter” and simply fixed my focus on Jesus Christ, the Son of God. All alone in my room on an Air Force base I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and to save me. I was immediately blessed with a sense of His loving presence and forgiveness. In fact, in a vision of my mind’s eye I saw Him at the foot of my bed receiving me into the family of God!

• Again, what had happened? Simply this: I had stopped trying to intellectualize religion and instead looked directly to Jesus Himself. I had “fixed” my eyes upon Jesus.

So “healthy fixation” #1 is: FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS.

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Hebrews 2:17-3:1  For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. [18]] Because he Himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. [3:1] Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

•• Are you suffering physically? emotionally? mentally? relationally? (vs. 18)? Is there a solution? Yes!

• Another healthy fixation — “Fix your thoughts on Jesus.... [remembering that] He Himself suffered.”

• When I was younger I became a “two-gallon donor” at a blood bank in Anchorage. I’m not too fond of being poked by needles. So as the nurse was getting the blood draw hooked up, in my mind I used to focus my thoughts on Jesus on the cross. I would ponder the thought that if Jesus could suffer so much pain for us, I could easily put up with a little needle poke! I realize that it’s silly of me even to remotely compare my discomfort to His pain. But my simple point is this: by deliberately looking unto Jesus, by focusing my thoughts on Him, I found that any earthly suffering I might have experienced faded out of sight.

•• Are you suffering temptation? — “Fix your thoughts on Jesus.... He is able to help...” (vs. 18)

• Are you tempted to retaliate to unjust persecution or slander? Fix your thoughts on Jesus before Pilate.

• Are you tempted by immoral thoughts? Fix your thoughts on Jesus and His blameless, pure conduct in the presence of many women during his years of ministry.

• Are you being tempted by pride? Fix your thoughts on Jesus successfully resisting the wilderness temptations by Satan — “All these [kingdoms of the world] will I give you...” (Matthew 4:8-9, KJV).

So “healthy fixation” #2 is: FIX YOUR THOUGHTS ON JESUS.

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2 Corinthians 4:16-18  Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. [17] For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. [18] So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

•• Are you starting to “lose heart” (vs. 16)? Do you feel like you are “outwardly ... wasting away” (16)? Are you being beset with many “troubles” (17)?

•• There is a healthy fixation available for you — “Fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen ... [on what is] eternal.”

• If I dwell on my aging body’s aches and pains, I could lose heart at times. But by fixing my focus on the “unseen ... the eternal”, I’m reminded of the glorious body that I’ll have for all eternity after the resurrection!

• You can dwell on “troubles” — financial, social, job-related, whatever. Or you can fix your eyes on eternity, when there will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more death, no more tears.

• Eternity is a healthy fixation!

So “healthy fixation” #3 is: FIX YOUR EYES NOT ON WHAT IS SEEN, BUT ON WHAT IS UNSEEN.

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We’ve looked today at three “fix”-es:

1) Fix your EYES on JESUS ... Consider HIM in your struggle to persevere and to throw off hindrances and sin.

2) Fix your THOUGHTS on JESUS, who is able to help you when you are suffering or being tempted.

3) Fix your eyes on what is UNSEEN, on what is ETERNAL, when you are troubled or tending to lose heart.

In sum, three healthy, biblical “fixations” that will bless your life and greatly help your walk with God are:

• EYES on JESUS

• THOUGHTS on JESUS

• EYES on ETERNITY

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You might also enjoy our sermon on 'Looking Unto Jesus: 6 Awesome Benefits'

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©2003, 2013, James H. Feeney.
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