Fixing My Eyes Beyond My Limits
When the light comes in, the struggle fades. Attention fixed on Jesus brings clarity and peace.
Devotional Credit: In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s devotional from E. Stanley Jones traces the rich link between faith and love as revealed in Ephesians 1:15 and other scriptures. Over and over, the early church is praised for both their faith in Jesus and their love for one another. These two fruits are not separate by coincidence, but deeply connected. Love, the kind that reflects God's heart, grows out of faith in Jesus.
Jones emphasizes that love cannot be urged into existence apart from faith. Trying to produce love on its own, disconnected from faith, leads only to striving. But when the heart is fixed on Jesus, faith increases, and from that growing trust flows genuine love; love that sees others through the eyes of Christ.
The testimony of Dr. Massie and Rev. Gonjola illustrates this truth in action. Dr. Massie, past ninety years old, lived by a simple but powerful philosophy: "In view of the resources of God, I refuse to accept my limitations." His faith was not in what he could do but in what God could do through him. Likewise, Rev. Gonjola's experience in the Belgian Congo revealed that when hearts were turned toward Jesus, change happened from the inside out. People who had once resisted transformation began to love, not because they were forced, but because their attention was finally fixed on the One who loved them.
At the center of this devotional is a gentle but strong call: stop looking at your limitations and start looking at the unlimited sufficiency of Jesus. Where your attention goes, your faith grows. And where your faith grows, love begins to take root and flourish—even for those who once seemed unlovable.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
Lift your eyes from your limits and place them on Me. I have never asked you to generate faith from effort. I have invited you to look to Me, the author and finisher of your faith. As you behold Me, your faith grows. And from that faith, love springs up, because I pour My love into your heart by the Spirit I gave you.
You are not called to strive for love or strain to believe harder. You are called to trust in My sufficiency. I have already given you everything you need for life and godliness. As you fix your heart on Me, you begin to reflect My heart for others. The love you share will not be manufactured. It will be Mine.
Do not accept the lie that your weakness disqualifies you. My power is made perfect there. When your attention rests on Me, even the unlovable will be touched by My love through you. You are a vessel, filled with treasure, carrying grace wherever you go.
Let your eyes stay fixed on what is eternal. Let your heart stay grounded in My love. That is how faith works through love.
Scripture References: Ephesians 1:15, 1 Thessalonians 3:6, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, Galatians 5:6, Hebrews 12:2, 2 Corinthians 4:7, Romans 5:5, 2 Peter 1:3, John 15:5, Romans 8:37–39, Colossians 3:2–4
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine trying to thread a needle in a dim room. The harder you try to focus, the more frustrated you become. But then someone opens the window, and light floods in. You didn’t change. The needle didn’t change. But the light changed everything. What was once difficult now becomes simple.
Likewise, when your gaze is fixed on your limitations, you strain and stumble. But when the light of Jesus fills your view, trust flows effortlessly, and love rises without force.
So today, if you're tempted to measure your capability, pause instead and whisper, “Lord, I trust You to draw my attention back to Yourself in this moment. Let Your love move freely through me, even toward those who feel hard to love.”
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I refuse to define myself by my limitations. I am not my past. I am not my weaknesses. I am Yours, and You are fully capable within me. As I fix my gaze on You, my faith grows. And from that faith, love begins to overflow.
Thank You that I don’t have to stir up love or force faith. I simply yield. I trust what You have already given me. And I choose today to center my attention on You, confident that Your life in me is enough for every encounter ahead.