It is a well known phenomena that humans see what they are looking for. We have a bunch of different names for it – confirmation bias, echo chamber, etc. What we are aiming toward is the most important factor for determining our behavior (we go where we are gazing), our perspective (we see the horizon we’ve turned toward), and our hope (by choosing a target, we are choosing a mission we believe in).

Throughout Scripture, the target of our lives is pretty clear. We are to aim for the pleasure of Christ. The joy of the Lord. His affirmation. He does not need us but He wants us. He wants to delight in what we do. He accepts us no matter who or what we are trying to please. But it breaks his heart when we take advantage of his acceptance and aim our efforts elsewhere.

Both within our days and at the end of our days on earth, God will judge our efforts. Where were we aimed and what did we do? Did we waste time with the wrong targets or did we cast our eye on Him?

Every day we make the foundational choice: where will we aim? What is our target? What is the motivation, the inspiration, the purpose that leads and guides us?

“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
– 2 Corinthians 5:9-10