Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus: How to Maintain Focus in a Distracted World

Welcome to another episode of the Health for the Spirit, Soul, and Body Blog from Doxa Missions. Today, we're looking at how to keep our eyes on Jesus and maintain focus in a distracted world. In today’s fast-paced society, distractions are everywhere—from constant notifications on our phones to the demands of work, family, and everything in between. As Christians, our spiritual growth depends on our ability to maintain focus, and Scripture teaches us the importance of fixing our eyes on Jesus. Let’s dive into why this is crucial and how we can develop spiritual focus despite life’s many distractions.

The Importance of Focus in Our Christian Walk

Distractions aren’t just a modern problem. From the beginning, humans have struggled with keeping focus. Think about how easily we can get caught up in daily to-do lists, social media, or just the noise around us. But in the same way that these things can distract us from daily tasks, they can also distract us from spiritual growth.

Our Christian walk requires us to intentionally fix our eyes on Jesus and His teachings. Hebrews 12:2 (KJV) encourages us to be “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” This means that no matter what’s going on around us, we must keep our spiritual gaze on Christ. The strength we need to persevere, the wisdom to make sound decisions, and the joy that sustains us are found in Him. But how do we do this when so much is vying for our attention?

Peter Walking on Water: A Lesson in Focus

One of the most powerful examples of maintaining focus comes from the story of Peter walking on water. This account, found in Matthew 14:22-33 (KJV), beautifully illustrates the power of focusing on Jesus and the dangers of losing that focus.

When Peter and the other disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they were initially terrified. But once Jesus identified Himself, Peter boldly asked to join Him on the water. As Peter stepped out of the boat, he did something miraculous—he walked on water, as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. However, the moment Peter allowed the stormy waves to distract him, he started to sink. In fear, he cried out to Jesus, who immediately reached out to save him, reminding Peter of the importance of faith and focus.

This story teaches us that when we focus on Christ, we can rise above life’s storms. But when we allow distractions—our fears, anxieties, or the chaos around us—to take our focus away, we begin to “sink” spiritually. Jesus called Peter to trust Him fully, just as He calls us to do the same today.

The Word of God: Our Daily Bread

Maintaining focus on Jesus means daily nourishing our spirits with the Word of God. Just as we wouldn’t skip meals for our physical bodies, we must regularly feed on God’s Word to sustain our spiritual lives.

1 Peter 2:2 (KJV) tells us, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” If we neglect time in Scripture, we risk spiritual malnourishment, just as Peter began to sink when he stopped looking at Jesus. The Bible offers wisdom, strength, and direction—everything we need to grow spiritually and stay focused on God’s plan for our lives.

The Power of Single-Minded Pursuit

In today’s world, multitasking seems like the norm. We often juggle work, family responsibilities, church commitments, and more. But did you know that multitasking can actually reduce productivity? Studies have shown that constantly switching between tasks can lower efficiency by up to 40%. This principle applies to our spiritual lives as well.

David understood the power of single-minded focus when he said in Psalm 27:4 (KJV), “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after.” If we want to experience deeper spiritual growth, we must prioritize our relationship with God above all else. Just as Peter walked on water when he focused solely on Jesus, we can achieve spiritual breakthroughs when we make God our primary focus.

Don’t Focus on the Problem

Many of us spend more time thinking about our daily concerns—grocery lists, bills, or work problems—than we do about the dreams and callings God has placed in our hearts. Here’s an important truth: you get what you focus on. If you spend all your time focusing on the problem, you’ll miss the solution, even if it’s right in front of you.

Think about driving a car. If you focus on an obstacle in the road, like a pole, you’ll naturally steer toward it. Likewise, if we focus too much on life’s difficulties, we’ll be drawn toward them. But when we focus on Christ and His promises, we are empowered to steer toward the solutions and blessings He provides.

Where Is Your Focus?

Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 (KJV), “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” What excites you? What drives your life? If your treasure is in God, your heart and focus will naturally align with Him. But if your focus is divided between worldly concerns and spiritual goals, it becomes harder to stay on course. James 1:8 (KJV) reminds us, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” To remain spiritually stable, we must fix our gaze on Jesus, not on the shifting winds of life.

Focus on What Truly Matters

Paul gives us a perfect example of single-minded pursuit in Philippians 3:13-14 (KJV): “This one thing I do...I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Like Paul, we must prioritize our spiritual goals over distractions. Whether it’s pursuing a deeper prayer life, growing in biblical knowledge, or serving others, we need to be intentional about where we place our focus.

So, what’s the one thing you need to focus on to produce greater results in your spiritual life? Maybe it’s spending more time in prayer or reading Scripture daily. Whatever it is, remember this:

With focus, you can achieve anything. Without it, you’ll struggle to achieve anything.

As you reflect on where your focus lies today, I encourage you to share in the comments below. What challenges have you faced in keeping your eyes on Jesus? How have you overcome distractions in your spiritual life? Let’s build a community of support and encouragement as we help one another stay focused on the one thing that truly matters—our relationship with Christ.