Where Should Our Thoughts Be? Breaking Free from Spiritual Self-Focus
When we start measuring our spiritual performance instead of keeping our eyes on Christ, we fall right into the enemy's trap of self-reliance.
It often comes to my mind: Where should my thoughts really be?
This question came to me again recently when someone shared from a devotional they were reading. The devotional gave the impression that we can know if we are a Christian if we are always thinking about Jesus and always talking about Him.
I realized how discouraging this idea can be to people—looking at ourselves and evaluating our faith based upon whether our thoughts and speech are always centered on Jesus. It brought me back to where my focus truly ought to be, because wherever my thoughts are, that is where my speech will follow.
To me, this devotional idea is actually a trap from the enemy. The devil's goal for each of us is simply to get our eyes off our Saviour. He doesn’t care how he does it or what methods he uses. He doesn’t have to tell the truth; he can work in the most deceitful ways. In fact, his best method is to mix a lot of truth with just a little bit of error.
I have come to realize how vital it is to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus—not on others, not on the things of this world, and especially not on myself or how well I am performing.
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
— Hebrews 12:2
If I begin to watch my own performance to see if I am thinking and talking of Jesus "enough," it will do one of two things: it will make me completely discouraged because I feel like I'm not performing well enough, or it will make me proud—causing me to see myself as better than others and start criticizing them.
The fact is, we are nothing without Christ.
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
— Isaiah 64:6
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
— Jeremiah 17:9
If my own heart is deceitful above all things and I can't even fully know it myself, how can I measure my salvation based on my own self-evaluation of how much I think or speak about Jesus?
I have no doubt that if we keep our eyes focused on Jesus and learn from Him, our thoughts will naturally be on Him and we will talk of Him. But we won't be constantly measuring or thinking about whether we are doing it enough or not—it will simply be the natural fruit of keeping our eyes on Him. It is about being like Mary, who chose the good part by sitting at the feet of Jesus to learn from Him.
This dynamic is shown clearly in the Gospel of Matthew, when Christ speaks of His coming in judgment:
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
— Matthew 25:34–40
These verses say it all. The righteous won't even realize all the good they have done, because it was never about them! It will be Jesus, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, working in and through them, and they won't even be focused on themselves. If we start looking at ourselves and thinking we are good in any way, we have lost the battle. The devil has won that ground.
As we draw closer to Christ, we don't see how great we are—we see ourselves as we really are: poor, blind, naked, and in complete need of Him (Revelation 3:17). Yet in that place of weakness, we can claim His absolute promise:
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
— Philippians 1:6
There are so many promises we can claim about who we are in Christ, and we can rejoice that salvation and sanctification are His work, and He is faithful to perform it in us.
I realize more and more how desperately I need to keep my eyes on Christ. There are so many distractions the devil uses in the times we live in. We might even think a distraction is "good," but if it draws us away from Christ, away from coming to His Word with a sincere desire to learn of Him, or away from simple prayer asking for the Holy Spirit’s direction—we will end up carried away by every wind of doctrine, by our own desires, and by whatever trap the devil lays for us.
Today, I want to recommit my eyes, my ears, my thoughts, and my words to God, and allow Him to truly take control of my life.
A Prayer of Commitment
Heavenly Father,
I come before You today acknowledging that without Christ, I can do nothing. Forgive me for the times I have turned my gaze inward—measuring my own spiritual performance, trying to prove my own goodness, or letting my thoughts drift to the distractions of this world.
Lord, I surrender my mind, my eyes, my ears, and my words into Your hands today. Take full control of my heart. Cleanse me of my self-reliance and deliver me from the subtle traps of the enemy. Fix my eyes firmly upon Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. Teach me to sit at His feet like Mary, content to hear His Word and learn of Him.
Work in me both to will and to do of Your good pleasure. Live Your life through me by the Holy Spirit, so that any good that comes from my life points entirely back to You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
5 Action Steps to Keep Your Eyes on Christ
1. Practice "Self-Forgetful" Sitting at the Feet of Jesus
Make daily time to open God's Word not to gain knowledge for an argument or to check off a checklist, but simply to behold Christ. When you notice yourself analyzing whether you are "doing well spiritually," deliberately shift your attention away from yourself and back to who Jesus is.
2. Guard Your Inputs (Eyes and Ears)
The enemy uses subtle noise, constant media, and worldly chatter to crowd out the voice of God. Set healthy boundaries on what you watch, read, and listen to so that your mind remains clear and receptive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
3. Claim Who You Are in Christ
Whenever feelings of inadequacy or self-doubt creep in, stop relying on your feelings or performance and stand firm on what God says about your true identity in Him. You are not defined by your righteous deeds, but by Christ's righteousness given to you.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
4. Test Devotions and Teachings Against Scripture
Always bring human devotional ideas and popular spiritual concepts back to the Bible. If a teaching subtly shifts your focus onto self-monitoring instead of looking to Jesus, recognize it as a mixture of truth and error, and discard it.
5. Shift from Performance to Surrender in Prayer
Begin your prayer times not by trying to work up holy feelings, but by simply yielding control. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts, guard your tongue, and work through your hands throughout the day so that any fruit produced is entirely His doing.
True Christian growth isn't about staring into the mirror to see how much like Jesus we are becoming; it is about staring at Jesus until we forget to look at ourselves altogether. When our eyes are fixed on Him, transformation happens silently, naturally, and completely by His grace.
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