Those who take the short look, who walk by sight, are able at best to see life only in the short run and at that, with no clear assurance. On the other hand, those who take the long look, who walk by faith, see life in the long run. In other words, they see life whole.
As columnist John R. Gunn expresses it, "Faith is not merely our adjustment to some particular situation. It is our adjustment to the whole of life."
This is clearly seen in the life of Jesus. Life, when we think of the circumstances under which Jesus lived it day by day, might well have been too much for him and harrassed His very soul. But He was able to go ahead each day with clear, purposeful action, because of His trust in the Father and the consciousness of His life, regardless of passing vicissitudes, was in God's hands. Thus, Jesus lived and thus He taught.
God is our heavenly Father and in complete control, numbering the hairs of our heads and watching the alighting of the sparrows. Therefore, Jesus has only to do God's will and leave the rest in His hands. No matter what happened, God would take care of Him; take care of His work and all would be well in the end.
That was Christ's teaching; that was His life. He who lives triumphantly is he who takes the long look; who sees life as a whole and adjusts to the whole life through faith. But he cannot possess that faith by a mere effort of the will. He must take time for God. He must cultivate the sense of His presence through worship and through prayer. Thus resting in the adequacy of God, he is made day by day so fit for life that he accepts its responsibilities and trials without fear and its joys with grateful heart.