One of my favorite choruses in a hymn is found in “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”. The words: “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.” When I sing those words, almost every time, tears come to my eyes. It puts things back into perspective. It makes me think of Jesus, and thinking of Jesus softens my heart.
Now and then, life has a way of blinding me. My heart and mind become preoccupied with a myriad of burdens and tasks. But when I turn my eyes toward Jesus, all the things that have overwhelmed me begin to melt away. That which appeared to be difficult or all-consuming begins to pale, and it is enough to just sit with Him and be still…and, interestingly, Jesus encourages this action.
In Luke 10, in the account of Mary and Martha, Martha was overly worried with preparations while her sister Mary was instead compelled to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His words. Martha complained at Mary’s lack of diligence, and Jesus admonished Martha with these words: “…you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Sometimes, it is not imperative to “get things done”; rather it is necessary to stop and sit at Jesus’ feet. When we do, we will find that our perspective becomes clearer and our hearts become softer.
–Katie Botello
