It’s easy for us to look back on our Founding Fathers in history (knowing the outcome of all their sacrifice) and be confident about all their endeavors because we know what they didn’t…how it all would end.  Today, we are still basking in the liberty that their sacrifice, blood, and labors gave us in the founding of our country.  

All throughout history, we can look at the great men and women who helped to form and fashion not only our nation, but the world and say the same thing.  It’s easy for us to have hopeful thoughts and brag about their exploits because we know how it all ended and that their heroes.  

Look at George Washington for example.  We call him a hero today because we can see the fruit of what his labor brought forth in our nation.  We know the outcome. We live in it. We can read the book from beginning to end.  He couldn’t. He didn’t know the end.  

Many people would not have the liberties they now have today, if it wasn’t for this man. Again, we know this, but he didn’t at the time.  He was a man probably filled with many questions. He probably had a lot of fear, the difference is, he didn’t let his fear control him. He overcame his fear (2 Timothy 1:7) and fought till the end to establish this great nation. No man or woman can deny the Providence of God in his life.

Sometimes it’s hard to keep your eyes fixed on your end goal. Sometimes all you can see are the obstacles in front of you.  Our Founding Forefathers probably felt this way many times and probably so have you.  But even in the midst of all of this, if you’re ever going to succeed, you need to keep your eyes fixed on the author and finisher of your faith Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:2) and your end goal of seeking and saving that which is lost.

Let me give you a little story that may help you to keep your eyes fixed on the goal you are trying to attain in whatever capacity the Lord has you in right now. It’s the story of Florence Chadwick.

Florence Chadwick was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. On the Fourth of July in 1951, she attempted to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast. A dense fog lay over the entire area, making it impossible for her to see land. Sharks were also hindering her way. After about 15 hours in the water and within half a mile of her goal, Chadwick gave up. Later she told a reporter, “Look, I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the land, I might have made it.”

Not long afterward she attempted the feat again. Once more a misty veil obscured the coastline and she couldn’t see the shore. But this time she made it, because she kept reminding herself that land was there. She kept a vision in her mind of where she was to go. With that confidence, she bravely swam on and achieved her goal. In fact, she broke the men’s record by two hours.

Why did Florence succeed? Well, let me rephrase that. Why did Florence not only succeed, but crush the men’s record by two hours? Because she fixed in her mind her end goal. Her end goal was getting to land.

Our end goal should be to seek and save that which is lost (Luke 19:10). Nothing else in this life is more important than that.

Let me share with you what my sister, who is a registered nurse, once said, “Can’t take anything with you but souls…sad thing is people think they will be in a healthy state of mind and then postpone getting right. A vehicle is just steel and a house is just sheetrock. I do not forward possessions to suites in Heaven.”

What can you forward to Heaven? The souls of men.

So, as you are so sojourning through this world, keep focused (even though you may get discouraged), fix your eyes upon Jesus (although all you may see is the waves) and remember, there are no luggage racks on a hearse, all you can take with you is souls.