Focus

   Focus:  a state or condition permitting clear perception or understanding

Thought for the Day:  
Hebrews 3:1 (NIV)
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.

Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  

     Have you found yourself driving down the road and through mental memory end up at your destination but can’t remember seeing familiar road marks along the way?  Your focus was divided between arriving to point B from point A due to habitual repetition.  It’s probably occurred to all of us at some point in our motorist careers.  But we have to admit it’s dangerous to sit behind the wheel of a vehicle while our focus, or attention is diverted.
     Or possibly has focus diversion happened as you were supposedly “listening” to a friend sharing a concern, but you inadvertently let your mind step aside momentarily and missed part of the conversation?  When asked an earnest opinion on the subject revealed you suddenly look like a deer in headlights because your focus or concentration was temporarily diverted?  Swiftly you begin to back-peddle recollecting the conversation and hope your answer isn’t an affront to the one sharing.
     Focus involves hearing, seeing and comprehending.  We are unbound free agents this side of heaven as we live in a democratic, free society permitted to hear, see and comprehend anything desired.  But this devotional asks on what or to whom do you focus? What receives the majority of your time and effort and who captains the ship of your life?  Where is your course leading you and do you have an accurate compass on which you depend to keep you from dangerous waters, or at least enable you to steer around an oncoming storm to keep you and your passengers safe?
     In keeping with the previous paragraph, we could do everything needed before setting sail; check every gauge, have all the maps, test the radio to a command center, and then set out on the open waters and still run into a rough patch.  But I would assume while sailing your focus would be on the instruments, the winds, the weather forecasts and various needed indicators in order to avert trouble.  
     My point with this writing is to ask if you are that prepared with your spiritual health?  Is your focus or concentration elsewhere as you live day by day other than giving a portion of that time to our Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth?  The One who breathed that first breath of air into your lungs, the One who allows your heart to beat time and time again, the One who wants you to live an abundant life…is He on the list of things to do today?  
     When you attend church, if you are an attender, do you mindlessly sit in the pew not truly listening or concentrating and when someone makes a comment afterwards in the church parking lot about the sermon, do you just smile and say, “Amen”?  Do you even bother to try to back-peddle to remember what the pastor or speaker said?
     You might be content to live the rest of your life calling your own shots.  Placing your focus or concentration on pleasures, entertainment, your career, your family, maybe shopping, but are you truly, deep down in your soul, happy?  Has your focus been placed on things that are temporary and not eternal?  Do you even believe in the eternal?
     Maybe it’s time to investigate where your focus is and if it can stand the test of time and eternity.  Your free agent clock is ticking….one day it will stop….then what?

Father, enable us to focus so that we may see, hear and understand the plan you have for our lives.  May we always be alert and ready to follow you and be stellar witnesses of Your grace and mercy.  Amen.



 
     

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