Fix Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Dr. John M. Perkins

This morning, Dr. John M. Perkins advisor to six presidents and considered “the most influential leader since Dr. King”, according to Professor Charles Marsh, passed away at the age of 95 years. Perhaps you know of him. Perhaps you do not. I did not know of him until about 10 years or so ago. He was a follower of Christ, husband to Vera Mae, a father of five, and a spiritual father to many. He was a champion of civil rights and racial reconciliation. I will not run down his entire resume as you can look him up on the Internet and learn all kinds of good stuff about this great man. There was a glowing article published just last week (March 4, 2026) by Marvin Olasky of Christianity Today.

It was that article that alerted me to the fact that Dr. Perkins was receiving palliative care. And it made me think about some things. Right now, my life is very full. More so than I would like it to be and so that can (and has) give way to frustration, irritation, impatience, and worry. “How are we going to have enough money for that if we pay for this?” “Oh my goodness, will they just drive the speed limit?!”  “Really people??” “I can’t believe I just spilled red stuff all over my white shirt!” “Should I eat that cookie?” “Will we have enough to retire?” And on and on it goes, right? Mind you, I did not know Dr. Perkins personally, but based on his testimony, I believe I can safely say that as he received palliative care and prepared to see His Savior, his focus was NOT on any of that. I am pretty sure he was NOT focused on money, be it saving, spending, or giving. His focus was not on whether he should get a haircut or what he was wearing. He was not concerned about what to cook or eat for dinner, let alone dessert. I am pretty sure he was not thinking about how many books he wrote or even the mistreatment he had suffered at the hands of others. From all appearances (Instagram), he was responsive to his wife of 74 years when she told him she loved him, but I’m pretty confident that his eyes, more than anything, were fixed on the One who suffered and died on the cross for his sins, in his place. How? Because the chorus of an old hymn reads:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face.

And the things of this world will grow strangely dim

In the light and His glory and grace.

Again, I was not by his bedside, but I am certain his focus was Christ. In all fairness, he would have no use for any of that stuff (money, food, haircuts, etc.), while those of us who are living do have to pay living expenses; we must shower and put on clothes; we must make decisions on what to eat; we have to make a living, and we will all have relationships that we must manage. But, I believe that if we, too, turn our eyes on Jesus, the things of this world will grow dim. How can we do that? How can we turn our eyes upon Jesus as we live out the rest of our days on the earth? How can we have peace while living during politically volatile times? How can we indeed be in this world without being consumed by the world? Well, let us go to scripture.

o   Remind yourself of the gospel daily (John 3:16)

o   Seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33)

o   Meditate on the Word of God, day and night (Joshua 1:8)

o   Think about what is true, honorable, pure, lovely (Philippians 4:8)

o   Have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5)

o   Be obedient to what God says (Hebrews5:9)

o   Be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)

o   Trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6)

o   Pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17)

Remember, God’s Word is living and active, so when we are reading scripture, we are reading and taking in the life-giving, God-breathed words of Him who created heaven, earth, and us. His Word transforms. So, reading, meditating, praying, and living out the scripture above will transform our hearts and minds as to turn our eyes away from the stuff of this world and to focus them on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

I needed to write this out for me-to encourage myself. I hope you are encouraged, also. Wow, Dr. Perkins, even in death, the LORD is still using him to teach me! May he rest in God’s eternal peace and may the LORD comfort his family, as only He can, as they grieve.