In the parable of the sower, Matthew 13:22, Jesus warns us not to let the world cause us to lose our focus on the Word:
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul tells of his focus on the prize set before him (Philippians 3:14):
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The Greek word translated mark is skopós – the root of our word “scope.” To bring something off in the distance into clearer focus we often rely on a scope; for example a sighting scope to better view the beautiful creatures of the air.
As we run our race we must stay focused on the cross lest we become bogged down in the thorns of life.