“Distractions may hinder, but once the heart is committed to Him, after each brief excursion away from Him, the attention will return again and rest upon Him like a wandering bird coming back to its window.”
“I would emphasize this one committal, this one great volitional act which establishes the heart’s intention to gaze forever upon Jesus. God takes this intention for our choice and makes what allowances He must for the thousand distractions which beset us in this evil world. He knows that we have set the direction of our hearts toward Jesus, and we can know it too, and comfort ourselves with the knowledge that a habit of should is forming which will become, after a while, a sort of spiritual reflex requiring no more conscious effort on our part.” ……
“Faith is the least self-regarding of the virtues. It is by its very nature scarcely conscious of its own existence. Like the eye which sees everything in front of it and never sees itself, faith is occupied with the Object upon which it rests and pays no attention to itself at all. While we are looking at God, we do not see ourselves – blessed riddance. The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing, but repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at Christ, the very things he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him. It will be God working in him to will and to do.”
“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.” PG 94-95
Discussion
Look to God With Your Heart
“Faith is the gaze of the soul upon a saving God.”
— A. W. Tozer, pg. 93
Main Thought: Faith means directing the attention of your heart toward God and continually returning your attention to Him.
1. Clarify What You Believe
Pgs. 89–90
Read Scripture with an open heart. Write down the truths you learn, and let further reading deepen your understanding.
Scripture informs us.
Israel’s king was commanded to copy God’s law, keep it with him, and read it throughout his life.
Deuteronomy 17:18–19 — Reading God’s Word teaches us to fear Him and obey His commands.
Scripture builds us up.
Deuteronomy 17:20 — God’s Word teaches humility and helps us remain faithful.
Discussion:
How can we approach Scripture with a willingness to learn rather than simply looking for support for what we already believe?
How can we approach Scripture with a willingness to learn rather than simply looking for support for what we already believe?
Follow up: Have you ever changed your mind on anything you believe? How? Why?
2. The Simplicity of Faith
Pgs. 91–93
“But without faith it is impossible to please him…” Hebrews 11:6
Main Thought: Faith is taking God at His word and acting on what He says.
Philosophical faith.
Complicated explanations can make faith seem harder to understand than it is.
Practical faith.
Trust what God says and respond in obedience. You can exercise faith without fully understanding its definition. We learn what faith looks like by seeing people trust God in Scripture.
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10:17
Faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Faith in practice.
Israel looked at the serpent with physical eyes. Believers look to Christ with their hearts. Tozer describes this inward attention to God as “the gaze of the soul.”
Discussion:
Although believing and looking are used synonimously, how might Tozer further draw a distinction between belief and faith? Pg 93
If someone asks you what it means to have faith, how would you describe it?
3. Look to God With Your Heart
Pgs. 94, 98–99
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…”
Hebrews 12:2
Main Thought: Faith is an ongoing attention to God. We learn to keep bringing our thoughts and affections back to Jesus.
“It would be like God to make the most vital thing easy and place it within the range of passibility for the weakest and poorest of us.” … “But looking is of the heart and can be done successfully by any man standing up or kneeling down or lying in his last agony a thousand miles from any church.” Pg 98
No special equipment is needed.
You can turn your heart toward God without special tools or resources.
You can do it at any time.
You do not have to wait for a special day to draw near to Christ.
You can do it anywhere.
At home, at work, or while traveling, you can direct your heart toward God.
Discussion:
In what ways have you moved from a head knowledge to a heart knowledge and began to exercise faith?
How can you practice looking to Christ during the ordinary responsibilities of your day?
4. Seek Clarity and Avoid Distractions
Main Thought: Prayer, Scripture, worship, and service help us keep our attention on God. When our minds wander, we return to Him.
Clarity.
Private prayer. Ask God for wisdom.
James 1:5 — God gives wisdom generously to those who ask.
Bible meditation. Think carefully about Scripture and apply it.
Psalm 119:99 — Meditating on God’s Word gives understanding.
Psalm 119:105 — “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Church. Worshiping God helps us see our circumstances more clearly.
Psalm 73:16–17 — The psalmist gained understanding when he entered God’s sanctuary.
Service. Put God’s commands into practice by serving others.
Psalm 111:10 — Understanding accompanies obedience.
John 13:14–17 — Jesus calls us to follow His example of humble service.
Give meaning to these practices. Pray, study, worship, and serve with love and a heart directed toward Christ.
1 Corinthians 13:3 — Even great sacrifices profit us nothing without charity.
Colossians 3:23–24 — Do your work heartily for the Lord, remembering that you serve Christ.
Avoid distractions.
Pgs. 94–95
When your attention wanders, bring it back to Jesus. Repeatedly returning to Him forms a habit of looking to God. Beware of turning your gaze toward yourself or others for direction and understanding.
Distractions draw our eyes and hearts away from God.
Following the crowd can replace careful attention to God and His Word. Tozer warns against merely repeating the religious ideas everyone around us accepts. Pgs. 96–97
Keep your eyes on God rather than people. Test what you hear against Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
Acts 17:11 The Bereans received the teaching willingly and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether it was true.
Discussion:
Which of these practices most helps you focus your heart on God?
What distractions do you face and how can you make returning to Christ a daily habit?
Takeaway
Faith is the continuing attention of the heart toward God.
Read His Word, take Him at His word, and respond in obedience. Seek Him through prayer, meditation, worship, and service.
When your attention wanders, return to Jesus. Keep looking to Him.