Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

By Eric Tworek

Eric Tworek is a worship leader at Community Church and one of the featured blog writers for Peak Reflections. Eric encourages us to connect with God through praise and worship

A few years ago, I was talking to a friend at church who had started a Christian-based Alcoholics Anonymous group. He told me the group started every meeting with prayer, praise, and worship. He explained that those struggling with addiction spent so much time focused on themselves, their problems, and their failures that they needed an opportunity to focus on Someone bigger than their situation. I also find this to be true for myself. When facing problems in my own life – especially ones I have struggled with for years – it’s easy to fall back into familiar patterns and listen to the voice of the accuser say things like “see, you’re still a big loser” or “you’ll never beat this thing” or “just give up and give in.” I know it’s not the voice of God speaking, but it’s easy to believe what I’m hearing because it feels so true.

So much of my life is focused on my wants, my needs, and my feelings. I wonder if there is anything I do that Jesus would do if He were me? Once a month I volunteer to lead praise and worship at the Isabella County Medical Care Facility. It’s only a half hour a month, but it seems like such a struggle to make it there because I’m too busy or I just don’t feel like it. And yet I’m always struck by the joy and gratitude of the residents that take part and I always find myself wondering why I didn’t want to go. I am blessed and encouraged – probably more than they are.

We live in a world that shouts “ME FIRST!!!” and it’s hard not to follow that lifestyle. Taking time to praise and worship God is a great way to get the focus off ourselves. When we focus on God, our own wants, needs, and feelings become secondary. “Me first” becomes Jesus first and Christ in us grows stronger.

We hear the Holy Spirit encouraging us, telling us there is hope, have faith, and fight the good fight! Change becomes a possibility instead of a guilty feeling. So, through praise and worship, let’s get our eyes off ourselves and focus on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2). As we focus on Him the cares of this world will fade away.

Do you remember this hymn chorus?

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of this earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
Helen H. Lemmel

Keep praising the Lord!