As a youth director I took my kids to an adventure camp one summer. One of our activities was my worst nightmare…a leap of faith. We began by hooking into these harnesses and filing down a single footpath on the side of a mountain. After a decent hike and much to my horror we came to a telephone pole with a small platform and out in front of the platform about 5 feet away from the mountain was a trapeze bar. Suddenly fear flooded my veins and I knew in that moment I only came to be a spectator. Well after all these fearless teenagers jumped from the platform and out to the bar they began to challenge me to do it. I have an unconquerable fear of heights, but my pride has now taken a serious hit and the peer pressure was becoming too much to bare. I reluctantly gave it a shot. Knowing in my heart that it was safe and the whole time I was harnessed and anchored to professionals that knew what they were doing, I was still shaking like a leaf in the wind. That’s when the instructor said to me, “Block out everything else and focus on one small point on that bar.” I jumped and probably looked ridiculous, but I made it.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2.

Sometimes we have these leaps in front of us and fear can be too much to handle. I think there are even times when we are distracted during our day to day lives and we need to be reminded to focus on Christ. He is the pioneer and perfecter of faith which means you are harnessed and he has you. Jesus can be trusted because he already leaped and covered a much greater distance than you can imagine and he now “sits at the right hand of the throne of God.”

What is distracting you? What difficulty do you face today? Focus on Christ and take another step—he has you.