Fix Your Focus
Fix Your Focus
Did you read “Do you Believe or Do you Not Believe”? If not, I hope you will. Our struggle with unbelief stands in the way of our intimacy with Jesus and robs us of the abundance He came to offer us. It is the key to unlocking the gate to the life that God is calling us into with Him.
If you have been following along, you know that most of my blog posts reveal the lessons that God is teaching, hmmm… (well, you already know) –me. Why do we forget? Why do we struggle? Why do we make this so much harder than it needs to be? We are children of the One True King. His peace and unspeakable joy are ours when we surrender completely to Him. Yet, instead of surrendering, we try to figure everything out for ourselves. We give too much value to our opinion; we center our attention on our doubts and limit our peace by our lack of understanding. If God was setting at the kitchen table with me this morning and listening to my fears, concerns and struggles, I believe He would simply say to me, “Fix your focus.”
Fix my focus? Yes! That is exactly what most of us need to do. We need to take our focus off ourselves; we need to quit listening to our thoughts; and we need to quit living in fear. We need to fix our focus on the One who is in control of it all. It is impossible to try to control everything around us and surrender to His plan for our lives at the same time.
Do you need to fix your focus? If our focus is on anything other than Jesus – then it needs fixing. So, what does it mean to fix our focus on Him? It means that we understand that our life is not about “me” and fulfilling my self-centered desires. Our life, as Christ followers, is all about glorifying God and pointing others to Him.
“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2
Our life – is our race. Every day is a leg of the race. What we say, what we do, where we fix our focus matters. It is of great importance that we get up every day and do as Charles Spurgeon said, “Wash your face every morning in a bath of praise.” When we start with praise for who Jesus is and all that He has done, then our eyes are set on Him and our life – our words, our actions and our thoughts - will reflect it.
In Colossians 3:1-4 we find great instructions for our focus…
“So, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
Fixing our focus means seeking the things above and not earthly things. It is not about us – it is all about Him. So, what are we to do to keep our focus on the things above?
- Start each morning offering up our praise. Verbally list and maybe even write out all that God has done and is doing for you. Count those blessings – naming them one by one.
- Make time and spend time in the word. We shouldn’t rush through a 3 paragraph devotional and consider our time with Jesus done. No, we are to spend time with Jesus and study God’s word to grow our understanding and deepen our relationship with Him. That is our goal. Grow in intimacy with Jesus. It is impossible to spend time on a regular basis in the Word and not have your focus shift.
- Grow your prayer life. Communication is key in any relationship. We must hear from Him through His word and then talk to Him though prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing”. That means talking to Him throughout the day and staying in an atmosphere or an attitude of prayer.
- We are to intentionally connect and relate with others who will “stir us up” to love Jesus and live our life for Him. By reading this blog and others, you are intentionally staying connected. Grow your circle of girlfriends who love Jesus and gather to talk about what He is doing in your life. Join a Bible Study and get active in your church. It all makes a difference and helps you fix your focus where it should be.
I am so thankful for you all and that together we can continue to fix and re-fix our focus on Jesus. We can stir each other up to love Him more. We can live out our life in total surrender and faith in our good, good Father who has us in the palm of His hand. We can experience the abundant life that Jesus came to offer each of us.
Whew! That is just what I needed to fix MY focus. How about you?
A Word From Pam:
Jesus is calling us to an intimate relationship with Him. Intimacy begins with belief. Let's be done with unbelief. Let's place all of our trust in and fix our focus on Him. We can do this. Let's link arms and keep pointing one another in the right direction. Who's in?
Do you know Him? If there is any question, download the Plan of Salvation and read through the scriptures. I would love to chat with you about it. Feel free to reach out to me.
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