In a football game, the referees are very attentive to one thing-only one ball on the field at a time! Imagine what the results would be if the offense was allowed to have two or maybe three balls to work with on every play. It would be impossible to follow the old adage: "Keep your eye on the ball." Which one?
Well, in the spiritual realm this can also become very confusing. Where do you keep your eyes? At the time Jesus was born there were numerous balls on the field, so to speak. There was the long-awaited birth of Jesus, the promised Savior, welcomed by believers. Then there was the mighty Roman government, tossing their own ball around, who wanted to give the appearance that they ruled the world. If that was not enough, there were the Pharisees and the like who had smuggled their own ball onto the field. There were others. Which ball do you keep your eye on?
In our lives it looks like the number of balls on the field has increased, so much so that it appears like every player has brought his own ball to the game. Which one do you keep your eye on now? The sad reality is that everyone would like to just play with the ball they themselves brought to the game. And the devil smiles. That's his game plan.
Let's be honest, there are a lot of distractions all vying for attention in our lives. There are the failing governing authorities, the financial gurus, worldwide terrorists, your job security, medical issues, and the list goes on. It's pretty easy to be watching the wrong ball. Is the real issue in life whether you will go through an X-ray screening or a pat down? Or... whether unemployment goes over ten percent? Or...will illegal immigration be halted? Or... how do we pay for $13 trillion in federal debt? Or... will taxes go up? Or... is my retirement savings enough? Or....
That's a lot of things to watch and a lot of things to watch out for. I don't want to minimize the reality of life's issues. We can't bury our heads in the sand. We don't want to fall into the Gnostic error of thinking that physical life is unimportant, and only the spiritual is essential. These are problems that we must face in the real world. They can also become a real distraction and provide a real temptation for us to take our eye off the ball. Where is the ball? Who's carrying it?
What are we going to rivet our eyes on? The whole history of God's revelation answers that. The Old Testament is not a story of a meandering history that is going in several directions. All of history, then and now, is concentrated on one God and one plan for the temporal and eternal things. God's plan was to send to earth His own Son-in one person with two natures-to be the Savior of His people, to reign at His right hand, and to come again to judge the living and the dead and restore a fallen earth. The incarnation which we celebrate at Christmas is an important part of that plan. Others-Romans, Pharisees, and the like-thought they controlled history. They mocked His birth. They thought they won the game when they crucified Jesus too. They were proven wrong three days later. The evolutionists theorize that the world will go on forever. They will be proven wrong once again. Unbelievers always bring their own phony ball to the game. And they always lose.
The world we live in has many real and serious problems-and it's more than a game. It is a world passing away (1 Jn. 2:15-17). Christ has redeemed us from the bondage of sin and a sin-cursed world. That is why He said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (Jn.16:33).
What do you keep your eye on? What will the New Year bring? The Bible tells us that we must live by faith and not by sight. Faith's eye must be on our sovereign Lord who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. At the right hand of the Father, He, by His Spirit, is in absolute control to carry out the plan of the Almighty God to its appointed end. Jesus Christ, as Lord of all, holds the whole world-heaven and earth-in His hands. Keep your eye on the One who holds that ball!
When you get distracted with all the confusion in this world of AD 2011, read your Bibles-for example: Eph. 1:18-23 and Phil. 2:5-11, and Col. 1:9-18. Now read them again.
The greatest comfort for Christians is the singular message of the Bible. Jesus alone is our Savior and Lord. Look to Him. "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Eph. 4:4-6).
Dear readers, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and singularly trust in Him this New Year and all your days. Apart from that, you will fail by attempting to live your life by concentrating on too many bogus balls on the field. There is only one that is true.
