Gaze

Faith is not in itself a meritorious act; the merit is in the One toward Whom it is directed. Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus. Sin has twisted our vision inward and made it self-regarding. Unbelief has put self where God should be, and is perilously close to the sin of Lucifer who said, “I will set my throne above the throne of God.” Faith looks out instead of in and the whole life falls into line. 

~ A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

Over the past few months, I've been reading A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God with my absolutely amazing PMCF mentor. Before I go any further - if you haven't read this book, read it. It's really very short (with chapters probably of 10-15 pages each), and is chock full of really essential and thought- provoking spiritual truths about seeking the Lord earnestly and whole-heartedly. 


Summary: The Pursuit of God - Do it! (It's even available in a handy free PDF here!).


Today, I was reading over the chapter The Gaze of the Soul, which discusses how we develop our faith in the Lord. Tozer starts with a discussion about defining faith - commenting that faith is rarely explicitly defined in the Bible - more of a "you know it when you see it" thing where action is crucial for to experience it. He moves on then to discuss faith in action, citing the example of the brass serpent (Numbers 21:4-9) as an Old Testament example of New Testament faith:


As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

~John 3:14-15

His premise from this whole focus is that our faith in the Lord can be described as "the continuous gaze of the heart at the Triune God." Tozer notes that "when we lift our inward gaze upon God, we are sure to meet friendly eyes gazing back at us." I love this.

 First of all, it's simple. Instead of having faith be this big built-up sacrificial act (which it certainly can be at times), it boils faith down into a something easy: direction.  It makes faith something accessible - for us, not just all of the saints that have gone before (Hebrews 11). It makes faith something convenient - not just for quiet times and church, but for the whole day. 

Secondly, it takes the focus off of our own perfection and sanctification and shifts it towards the Lord. As a self-proclaimed perfectionist, I will be the first to admit that I often place undue focus on my own purification/achieving a certain level of "godliness" instead of focusing on glorifying and honoring the Lord through my actions. The idea of faith as gaze helps with this struggle immensely. It also helps us to accept the Lord's forgiveness more readily when we transgress. All around excellence. 

Lastly, I love the fact that God responds to our faith by gazing back at us and assuring us of His presence. I think one of the biggest challenges to surrendering aspects of our lives to the Lord by faith can be loneliness. Often no one else around us is making similar choices or sacrifices, making following the Lord in such ways appear at first glance very isolating. The Lord promises His continuous presence as we gaze at Him. Not only does he promise to be there with us, but he sees us. He understands the pain associated with our challenges and struggles and sympathizes with our weakness - after all, he's been there (Hebrews 4:15). 

So in summary, I want to leave you with these challenges: Don't make faith too complicated. Take the focus off yourself, and onto the Lord. Look to Jesus as the author and finisher of your faith.